University prohibits funding of political clubs

(The clubs affected will be mostly far-Leftist ones. How odd that they cannot support themselves! Suckling on the taxpayer's teat is all they know. It's about time they got a lesson in non-parasitic politics)

Students at one of Australia's most politically active universities have been banned from using campus funds to finance political clubs. Victoria's La Trobe University is using the Howard Government's voluntary student unionism legislation to refuse financial support for any of the campus's political clubs and societies.

"Purely and simply it's discrimination and is the antithesis of what university is supposed to be about in terms of people bringing up ideas and debating," said the president of La Trobe's Student Representative Council, Sarah Cole. "Most people would consider that as a key part of university life and getting a degree."

The university confirmed the arrangement was part of a new funding agreement to support the student union and its affiliated non-political clubs and societies but would not comment further. It is estimated the legislation will cost universities and student organisations $160 million annually from the loss of the compulsory levies.

But the La Trobe Student Representative Council, which is refusing to sign the deal, says it will lose university funding worth $240,000 if it is found to be financially supporting any political groups. "We can't find any part of the (Government's VSU) legislation that necessitates this," Ms Cole said. "It seems like it's partially motivated by people within the university administration who just want to stop political clubs from being active on campus."

Following the introduction of the Government's VSU legislation, which came into force in July last year, student bodies in universities across the country held fears that political clubs would have their funding cut back. Michael Nguyen, president of peak student body the National Union of Students, said he was unaware of other campuses taking the VSU legislation to such extremes. "It hasn't been explicit but university administrations have been saying this kind of thing in funding negotiations," he said. "The general sentiment is that universities are wishing to implement the intent of the VSU legislation which is to restrict political activities."

La Trobe - which has a long tradition of left-wing student political activism - appears to be the first university to adopt a hardline approach to funding for political groups on campus. Political clubs are the only clubs to have been targeted with the funding agreement. Sporting clubs and societies are able to operate as usual.

Source

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