Charities Commission should examine political student unions
Media release: Student Choice, 2 June 2011
Following the recent deregistration of Greenpeace, the Charities Commission should review the charitable status of
various political compulsory student unions.
Compulsory student unions with charitable status include the Victoria University Students Association, the Otago
University Students Association, the Waikato Students Union, the Massey University Students Association, and the Massey
at Wellington Students Association.
Greenpeace was deregistered because of its political activities. Compulsory student associations are inherently
political organisations. In recent years student association ‘charities’ have variously: • Lobbied politicians against
freedom of association • Submitted to parliament in opposition to changes to labour legislation • Complained about the
election of the National government in 2008 • Claimed they campaign for “left wing reform” • Picketed the office of a
National party MP
There is also the ethical question of how groups with forced membership can have charitable status. By definition,
charities rely on voluntary contributions of time and money. However compulsory student associations are funded by
people who have not agreed to become members. Organisations that have to rely on compulsory membership should not be
entitled to call themselves charities.
ends