Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move amendments (1) and (2) circulated in the name of the member for Farrer:

(1) Schedule 1, item 2, page 3 (lines 6 and 7), omit the item.

(2) Schedule 1, item 4, page 3 (lines 10 and 11), omit the item.

These amendments would remove the proposed increase to the student services and amenities fee and references to subsequent indexation of that fee. The coalition remains opposed to the student union fee. We introduced voluntary student union fees in 2005 for the very reason that students deserve the right to choose whether they join an association and whether they wish to pay for the services on offer. Not every student is happy to help fund the orienteering club, the campaign rosters for the union president or the student newspaper. The coalition believes that, while we are not in a position to repeal the fee, this amendment would at least prevent this fee increasing and prevent future indexation of the fee.

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