Hughes Gareth: Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Hughes Gareth: Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:670;Page:16857] 
GARETH HUGHES (Green) 
: 
 Kia ora. Nga mihi nui ki a koutou. Kia ora. 
It is great to be here debating this bill. I missed the beginning of the Committee of the whole House stage with a new baby all the way back in December so I am glad that we managed to keep some of this bill alive to be able to debate it tonight. I had the great privilege of sitting on the Education and Science Committee to hear the hundreds of submissions on this bill. So I had a great insight into what will happen on 1 January 2012 when this legislation commences. 
Tonight I think there is a whole host of arguments that need an airing and need to be put on the floor of this Chamber. I am looking forward to discussing some of the amendments I will seek to have passed tonight. Although the Greens will not support the bill as it currently stands we think our amendments have a lot of merit and should be passed. 
This bill if it passes its third reading will come into effect on 1 January 2012. When is that date? It is right after the 2011 election. What we are seeing is an agenda from that side of the Chamber to force through this bill and delay the negative impacts it will have on our students associations our students and our universities and polytechnics until after the election. People will cast their ballot not knowing the impact of this bill. To be frank although this bill is interesting and fascinating it has been the domain of the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations politicians and lobbyists and it has not reached the public. I think that if the public knew what would happen when this legislation commences on 1 January 2012 they might have a second thought when they are in the ballot booth. 
This is a bad bill plainly and simply. It is an extreme bill. It is simply an ideological solution in search of a problem. On the select committee I did not hear from anyone as to what the problem was that we were trying to fix. The ACT Party has somehow convinced the National members who do not have to support the bill to support it. Even at this late stage in the proceedings those members do not have to support its passing. 
Today we had the honour of having the Australian Prime Minister in our Chamber. Maybe we should have asked Prime Minister Gillard what we could learn from the Australian experience. When this legislation commences on 1 January 2012 we should take the lessons learnt from Australia because we are not doing this in a vacuum. We have seen an experiment across the Ditch on what happens when we force a voluntary student membership model on to students associations. We should have asked Prime Minister Gillard why her Government is now changing the Australian legislation in order to find out whether we are likely to have to change our legislation after this legislation commences. We should have asked Prime Minister Gillard why Australia had to pour $120 million extra— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy) 
: Commencement. 
GARETH HUGHES 
: Thank you Mr Chair—the commencement. 
We have to ask why Australia had to pour $120 million extra into its tertiary sector after its legislation commenced. We should be asking that legitimate question because I have not heard from the Government benches or from the Minister about what those members will do for a transition programme or how much extra money they will have to put into one because our associations will suffer once this legislation commences. 
I have a whole host of extra things to say. I have some great amendments that I look forward to speaking on. When this legislation commences I say it will be bad news for New Zealand.