Roy Heather: Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Roy Heather: Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:670;Page:16872] 
Hon HEATHER ROY (ACT) 
: 
 It gives me a lot of pleasure to speak to the purpose clause of the Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill. We actually have something to discuss here rather than hearing the delaying tactics that the Opposition have engaged in on the last two clauses and during the rest of the part of the day that we have just had. The purpose clause is very clear: “The purpose of this Act is to uphold students’ rights to freedom of association”—and that is the crux of the matter—“by removing any requirement for students to join students associations.” 
There have been all sorts of discussions about freedom of association and whether it exists on campuses. Opposition members clearly think it already exists. They talk a lot about the provisions in the Education Act as it stands at the moment that refer to an opt-out provision. But to be frank the opt-out provision is a farce and nothing more than that. It is a farce—not because it is not spelt out in the Act; it clearly is as people are saying. It is a farce because students associations over a large number of years now have steadfastly ignored what should have been a right. They have not taken the opt-out provision seriously. They have refused in many cases to even engage with students when they ask to opt out. They have refused to engage with students when the fee is to be given to a charity. The students association gets to choose the fee not the students themselves. 
Despite the fact that over time— 
Hon Maryan Street 
: Change that bit. Don’t destroy the whole thing. 
Hon HEATHER ROY 
: The member clearly has not listened to this part of the debate because over time things have been strengthened and not capped at all. We are in favour now of having true freedom of association for students. Why are students the only sector in our community that is immune from freedom of association? In the workplace in 1993 compulsory unionism was abandoned. Of course unions are the funders of that side of the Chamber. But guess what? The sky did not fall in. 
It is saddening to sit here and listen to former presidents of students associations—Hipkins and Lees-Galloway. Unfortunately the Hon Darren Hughes as he said did not quite make those lofty heights although I seem to recall from campaigning that there was a role with a student council at Horowhenua College. Would that be right? Did he join voluntarily or was he compelled to be a member? 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: I was drafted by the people; I had no choice. 
Hon HEATHER ROY 
: There we go. Did he put his hand up to do it? I suspect so. But it is saddening that these former presidents of students associations do not have any confidence in what the students associations currently provide because they have already conceded there will be devastation when this bill passes. What it will do is prevent students associations from being the focus. It will be about the rights of individual students to choose what organisations they wish or do not wish to belong to. Freedom of association is about the right to associate with any organisation one wishes and what goes with that right is the right to dissociate from any organisation that one wishes. That is true freedom of association and for too long students have had the right to real freedom of association taken away from them. As things currently stand students cannot study at a tertiary institution if they do not join a union. They get to choose the tertiary institution to study at but they cannot study there if they do not join a union. That in this day and age is completely wrong. 
The purpose of this bill is very clear. It is about allowing students the only group in society now that does not have this right to have real freedom of association.