Press Release
For Immediate Release

08/10/2009

Dunedin Youth Branch
New Zealand Labour Party

Young Nationals show true colours.

The Young Nationals today tried to close an Otago University Students’ Association (OUSA) meeting which was discussing Sir Roger Douglas’ Education Amendment Bill, which aims to impose VSM (Voluntary Student Membership) upon students’associations.

During the debate, attended by over 200 Otago students, the Young National delegation, comprising 8 people, attempted to disrupt the debate and prevent a vote being taken on the issue by calling a ‘quorum’ count, and noisily leaving the room during a speech.

“This is more representative of the ACT party’s approach to this issue”, Dunedin Youth Branch co-president Lauren Hourigan said. “Instead of allowing democratic debate and due process to occur, these people want to bully student associations into submission”.

Those students remaining in the meeting were clearly angry at the behaviour of those few, especially so considering that the National Party is currently leading the government of New Zealand. Cries of “shame”followed the Young Nationals as they left the building.

However their mistake was seriously underestimating the extent of student support for universal student association membership. The chairman of the meeting ruled that procedural motions such as a quorum count cannot be made during a speech. The speech was thus allowed to continue, after which quorum was counted and achieved.

“I hope this anti-democratic action by young members of the National Party is not reflective of the approach that the National Party will take on this issue as it comes before select committee”, Ms Hourigan said. “This is a student issue, and it is one for the students to decide, not politicians in Wellington”.

She also suggested that the Young Nationals become more skilled in their approach to such meetings in the future. “Losing on technical points of procedure is not a good look”.

ENDS

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