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STUDENT
council
FACES
TOUGH
DECISIONS
SYDNEY: Two
recent legal decisions
have created problems
for the -Australian
Union of Students
(AUS).
In West Australia the
Liberal government has
passed legislation preventing
student organisations from
collecting compulsory fees
from students.
It also stops students'
organisations from spending
fees on "political" causes
which are not directly
connected with student
affairs.
The government hopes the
law will stop campuses
paying their membership fees
to AUS. However, the two
largest WA campuses believe
they will still be able to pay
their fees.
In Victoria the court case
brought against Melbourne
University and AUS by
rightwing student Robert
Clarke has stopped the
university collecting any fees.
This includes union and
sports union fees as well as
students' council fees. The
university is appealing
against the decision.
Universities in other states
are moving to close any
similar loopholes in their
regulations.
Clarke also argued that
money paid by Melbourne
University students to AUS
could only be used for
activities defined under the
Melbourne University
constitution. The court ruled
that the only constraint on
spending this money was the
AUS constitution.
However they ruled that
some activities were outside
the AUS constitution. These
include the East Timor
Information Office and
several campaigns for
overseas students. AUS will
propose amendments to its
constitution next year to
allow these activities to
continue.
This court decision, coupled
with several campuses
leaving the union, could cut
up to $200,000 from AUS
income next year. This gives
the union's January council
meeting the tough task of
deciding which areas of union
activity will be stopped.
Various leftwing groups
within the union have
different ideas about where
these cuts should be made.
This division may give the
right wing, which has a
strong representation at this
year's council, the opening it
has been looking for.n
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