A Government move which cements compulsory membership of students associations is an attack on the Bill of Rights Act and inconsistent with both moral and international obligations, according to concerned students.

The Education Amendment Bill, due to be debated in Parliament this week, has been labelled as an attack on our fundamental fredoms by youth group Prebble's Rebels.

"Compulsory membership of a political student group flies in the face of the Bill of Rights Act, which guarantees the freedom of association" said Rebel President, Clint Heine.

"Student unions have a legacy of mismanagement and unaccountability. A recent Victoria University survey shows that more than a quarter of students there were dissatisfied with their association. This is a pattern repeated across the country, where students are forced to pay high levies to political extremists who, despite their rhetoric, are more interested in pushing a political agenda than serving students."

"Once again, the Government thinks that they can make better decisions for us than we can for ourselves. We get to choose whether or not to join a political party, but Helen Clark wants the power to decide whether or not we join a militantly political student union."

Mr Heine said "the Government denies that it wants compulsory unionism with the Employment Relations Bill while at the same time denying students the right to choose not to join their students association."

Ends

For more information, contact:
Clint Heine (+64) (021) 122 8544
president@rebels.org.nz
http://www.rebels.org.nz

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