NUSA Day of Action is a student-funded joyride

David Williams, President of the University of Newcastle Liberal Club, spoke out today against the planned day of action by the Newcastle University Students Association (NUSA).

"NUSA believe they are going to be demonstrating that people do not want Voluntary Student Unionism (VSU) introduced," David Williams said, "but they are simply giving more reason why students deserve it."

"One really must question just what NUSA are seeking to achieve by marching on Senator Tierney's office when he - and all parliamentarians - are clearly in Canberra for the budget sittings."

"What NUSA are really organising is a day out for themselves and a handful of interested others. They have advertised extensively that free buses are provided. Yet, the buses are not free," said David Williams, "they come at a cost which every single student - whether part-time or full-time, must pay under compulsion or not be able to enrol at University."

"This is just another example of the flagrant disregard of student funds that NUSA exhibit," Mr. Williams said. "Why should 14,000 students subsidise the excesses and political tirades of but a handful who wish to go about joyriding in Newcastle under the guise of a protest march to the office of a Senator who is obviously not in town?"

"NUSA insist that VSU is an attack by the Coalition Government to weaken student rights, but this is hardly the case," said David Williams. "Rather, Voluntary Student Unionism is clearly the way forward to force student associations to act responsibly and to provide real services and representation instead of wasteful squandering."

"The fact that NUSA recognise they will lose funding if VSU is introduced means that they realise they simply do not provide a quality of service that the majority of students would pay for, if given the choice."

"Rather than attack the basic democratic right of freedom of association, NUSA would be better advised providing real services such that people would join their organisation of their own volition," said David Williams. "VSU is good for students. It's only the student politicians who are opposed to it."