The claims by students’ associations yesterday that my Voluntary Student Membership Bill is going to decimate membership and cripple services merely highlights how poor the current services provided to students must be, ACT New Zealand VSM Spokesman Sir Roger Douglas said today.“The only logical reason for the students’ associations’ concern must be that the services they currently provide have so little value, they know that students will not spend money on them once they are no longer forced to do so,” Sir Roger said.

“Any organisation that can deliver services their customers want, at the right price, will have no trouble attracting business. If students’ associations really do provide such services – as they claim – then they should have nothing to worry about.

“The real tragedy here, is that all students’ are being forced to pay for the ‘Save Our Services’ campaign, regardless of whether they support compulsory student membership or not.

“This misuse of funds is exactly the reason why students should be able to decide for themselves whether they want to be a paid up member of a students’ association or not,” Sir Roger said.

ENDS