Street Maryan: Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Street Maryan: Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:670;Page:16860] 
Hon MARYAN STREET (Labour) 
: 
 I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. Can I just be clear: I am not resuming my call? 
The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy) 
: No no. 
Hon MARYAN STREET 
: This is a new call? 
The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy) 
: You are on your second call. 
Hon MARYAN STREET 
: I am on my second call so I am at liberty to seek the call again at the end of 5 minutes. Is that correct? 
The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy) 
: Yes. Any member can take up to four calls. You have had one. 
Hon MARYAN STREET 
: I can have two consecutively. Thank you very much Mr Chairman; I wanted to clarify that. 
As the Committee is aware but as people who have tuned in just recently may not be we are debating clause 2 which is the commencement clause of the Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill. This clause states simply that “This Act comes into force on 1 January 2012.” I would like to support the amendment in the name of Rahui Katene to substitute the words “1 January 2013” but I consider that to be a lesser position than the one I would ultimately prefer. I had the privilege of sitting on the Education and Science Committee for some time when I had responsibility for that shadow portfolio and I listened to many of the submitters who came before the select committee. The select committee also travelled around the country listening to submitters and it was under the good chairmanship of Allan Peachey that in fact the committee travelled to hear people. However we come to the commencement date now and the member’s bill states that it will come into force on 1 January 2012 when in her original version it was “1 year after the date on which it receives the Royal assent.” But those words were struck out by the select committee and we have the amendment that “This Act comes into force on 1 January 2012.” 
There was not one submitter who came before the select committee and whom I heard who wanted this bill to commence at all let alone on 1 January 2012. I understand there was one submitter whom I did not hear personally—one submitter or one submission; I am not sure whether the submitter appeared in person—who supported the bill. I understand that Whitireia Community Polytechnic submitted that it was in favour of this legislation and of making membership of students associations voluntary because it had had a bitter and unpleasant experience of its particular students association. I cannot blame it for feeling bitter and unhappy about the way in which that students association conducted itself. But that is not the malaise that this bill is trying to address and that it seeks to address from 1 January 2012. That is not a malaise that afflicts all students associations. To have one submitter with a very particular objection to the way in which its students association was run become the cause célèbre for this legislation that is now designed to commence on 1 January 2012 is insufficient cause for this Parliament to pass bad legislation. 
So I support Rahui Katene’s amendment to push the date out to 2013 but as a lesser option because there is no date that is appropriate for the introduction and enactment of this legislation. It is very poor legislation; it is derived from an ideological position for which there is no practical or pragmatic requirement. The date of 1 January 2012 will simply be the date on which a bad piece of legislation comes into effect. Not only is it bad legislation but it is legislation that nobody or almost nobody wants. Almost nobody wants it. My colleagues have detailed some of the potential pitfalls in relation to the enactment of this legislation effective 1 January 2012. They have enunciated quite clearly some of the real dangers from the loss of ownership of assets built up over years from student fees.