Katene Rahui: Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Katene Rahui: Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:667;Page:14704] 
RAHUI KATENE (Maori Party—Te Tai Tonga) 
: 
 Every once in a while a debate occurs in this House in which key concepts emerge that are crucial to the expression of the democratic process. The Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill is one of those opportunities. It is a chance to revisit the theories around the very nature of democracy the enactment of universal freedoms and the notion of political participation. The title of the bill prompts us to consider the notion of freedom and where it fits in this case in tertiary education institutions. It asks us to consider the place of freedom within a democracy such as freedom of speech press religion or association and how government properly respects such freedoms. It seeks public response to this issue. 
I come to this bill mindful of a political sideshow that has been capturing the interests of the media over the last week. Last Tuesday a rookie MP from the ACT Party used her maiden speech to call for a reduced emphasis on government and a call for simpler legislation. She then proceeded to contradict those two core principles by demanding from Government an immediate assurance that it would insert the word “free” into the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill. Notwithstanding the obvious oxymoron of juxtaposing the word “free” alongside the word “public” the maiden-day initiative was an appalling attack on the parliamentary process. In demanding an amendment to a bill that has only just entered the select committee phase the new MP chose to override the vital role that the public play in commenting on legislation. It is exactly this same attack that continues unabated in the debate on the Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill. 
I want to make it absolutely clear that the parliamentary process is intricately tied to the notion of the people’s voice. It is the opportunity for the citizenship to have their say and express their views about any legislation before the House and we must protect that right as a basic axiom of democracy. For example the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill is at the very starting point of the select committee process. It is an opportunity for the select committee to call for public submissions to hear evidence on those submissions and subsequently to recommend amendments to the House. It should not be overridden by any politician or any political party. For the Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill the select committee process was absolutely fundamental to how we should perceive the significance of the proposals debated tonight. I ask why we should set ourselves a lesser target for the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill. We must resist at every opportunity political parties that seek to override the democratic process and interfere with the parliamentary process. 
People have spoken with a clear voice of opposition to the Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill. There were 4837 submissions and 98 percent of them opposed the bill. Let me share some of the voices of the people with the House. Towards the southern end of my electorate of Te Tai Tonga Te Roopu Whai Putake the Otago University Maori Law Students Association opposed the bill on the basis that it “attacks the Maori student voice and their ability to have democratically elected collective organisations on campus by removing the existing right of students to determine how to organise themselves.” 
In the centre region of Te Tai Tonga the Ngai Tahu Maori Law Centre opposed the bill promoting support for students associations and noting particularly that Maori student ropu had an understanding of and facilitate te ao and tikanga Maori. 
For the sake of completeness at the northern end of my electorate Ngai Tauira the Victoria University of Wellington Maori Students’ Association also opposed the bill stating: “It is our belief that until Maori become a normal feature of the tertiary environment then Maori students associations will be necessary to ensure equity and support of our students in the tertiary environment.” 
As the member for Te Tai Tonga I have to say that those three organisations alone provide a compelling case for opposing the bill. But the Maori Party extends past the boundaries of Te Tai Tonga of course so just for the record I have reviewed the evidence from across other electorates as well. Te Mana Matauranga o Te Waiariki opposed this bill declaring: “We believe that this bill is unnecessary as the status quo works.” 
In the Tamaki Makaurau electorate views were just as strongly held. Nga Tauira Maori the Auckland University Maori Students Association opposed this bill noting that “The bill adversely affects the ability of Nga Tauira Maori to exercise tino rangatiratanga kaitiakitanga and manaakitanga which are guaranteed in Te Tiriti o Waitangi.” 
The advice of Te Mana Akonga the National Maori Tertiary Students Association was: “In our extensive consultation with Maori over this particular issue it has become abundantly clear that iwi support Maori student ropu on campus.” 
A worrying comment has appeared in some of the contributions of members that might imply that a considerable number of the 4837 submissions received were of a pro forma template nature. I want to share the words of the people as they appeared before the Education and Science Committee because it provides such a clear picture that the majority of an overwhelming number of submissions opposed the bill. The reality is that there is a need for students associations—a fact emphasised to the committee by John Kingi a welfare officer for the Auckland University Students Association. He opposed the bill saying: “Often times we are forced to turn away students who may require some assistance as we simply do not have the capacity that universal associations do to meet the demands of students.” 
Finally I return to the notions of democracy and freedom that I spoke of earlier. Benjamin Franklin once said: “Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.” We must not allow the democratic process to be manipulated so that the lamb does not even get to have a say and the wolves determine what is on the menu with no regard for the voice of the people. 
The people have spoken with one voice on this bill. The Maori Party will stand with Te Mana Akonga the National Maori Tertiary Students Association; Te Mana Matauranga; Te Tapuwae o Rehua research centre; Ngai Tahu Maori Law Centre; Te Hunga Roia Maori o Aotearoa; Te Toi Tauira mo te Matariki the national forum for supporting Maori students and staff in tertiary education; Te Ropu Takawaenga Maori o Nga Kura Matauranga o Aotearoa the Maori Liaison Tertiary Association of New Zealand; Te Toi Ahurangi komiti Maori within the Tertiary Education Union; and Te Kahui Amokura the Maori committee of the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors Committee amongst a cast of thousands who petitioned Parliament to throw out this bill. 
We support the position of students that the legislative framework allows students themselves to be the collective decision-makers on whether their associations should be voluntary or compulsory as well as enabling choice regarding their individual membership of an association. We value students associations and their representatives including Maori student ropu and their representatives in playing a strong advocacy role within tertiary institutions and the wider sector for high-quality academic standards adequate Government investment and course fee maintenance or reductions. 
Students associations also provide a range of important services to students like welfare and academic advocacy faculty and class representatives financial assistance legal help counselling services student social events student clubs student societies and student sports and recreation facilities. In effect if this bill goes through tonight it will kill student associations. That will be the practical effect of this bill. 
I was interested to hear the ACT member cite one reason for destroying student unions being the fact that some people and some student unions have misused student money. If that reasoning was carried across into other areas then the ACT Party should be destroyed because its leader misused taxpayer money repeatedly. Companies should be destroyed because some company directors have committed fraud. We have to be consistent so that is the effect and that is what we should be doing 
As a student I benefited from student unions; so has my husband and our children. Students associations have improved the lives of students—no argument. For all of the reasons I have outlined we stand with the associations to oppose this bill.