NUS

New Campaign Campaigns

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  ScoMo's gotta go!

  Young people will inherit a dying planet because of government inaction on climate change. At the same time, investment in tertiary education is lower than it is in Trump's America, leaving students with increasing fees and debt. Young people also face an increasingly insecure and casualised workforce when we graduate. And our generation is the first to be worse off than our parents, with the cost of living and housing prices becoming untenable. Students on income support live way below the poverty line, and workplace exploitation of young people is rife. Scott Morrison's Liberal government has no vision for the future of young people. That's why we're telling Scott Morrison we'll be voting him and the Liberals out on May 18. NUS will be throwing parties in Sydney and Melbourne, and demonstrations in other cities across the country to call on young people to use their voice, and show ScoMo our power and young people and students come the election. Join us here: bit.ly/scomoparty

  289 of 300 Signatures

  Created by Desiree Cai, NUS President
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  #FixCentrelinkNow - It's Time

  Fixing the mess that is Centrelink will improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable in our society, giving them the best leg-up to start and in many cases, rebuild, their lives. It’s time to: SCRAP THE CENTRELINK AUTOMATED SYSTEM The automated system is flawed. The system is a debt recovery scheme that cross-references employment data through the ATO and Centrelink, which has created large room for error and is falsely attributing debt to vulnerable Australians. Although Labor has called for a national audit of the system, we believe enough is enough and it needs to be scrapped. The recovery of legitimate debt is important and should be done by paid staff at the Department of Human Services, not a machine! Links to relevant articles: http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/students-accused-of-welfare-fraud-say-centrelink-is-wrong/8127550 http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/centrelink-faces-sustained-criticism-over-its-new-automated-debt-recovery-system-20170102-gtkpq8.html STOP THE CENTRELINK PAY DELAYS In 2016 it was reported that up to 90,000 new applicants were left waiting months for income support, resulting in many being unable to afford necessities like rent and food. Centrelink is designed to be a safety-net, and leaving thousands with support at the start of the year needs to end. According to data collected by our Student Wellbeing Survey, run in 2016, 32% of students on Centrelink have experienced delayed payments, forcing them to borrow money from family, friends and in some cases, take out loans to make ends meet. Last year, when the delays were reported in the media, it was also reported that this had gone on for several years due to a lack of staff at the Department of Human Services, enough is enough! Links to relevant articles: http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/students-waiting-four-months-centrelink-payments-delayed/7346960 http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/centrelink-backlog-to-be-solved-in-two-weeks/7360760 LOWER THE CENTRELINK AGE OF INDEPENDENCE TO 18 The Centrelink Age of Independence for Youth Allowance sits at 22, making income support inaccessible to the majority of university students, particularly those starting their degrees who may have moved out of home to attend university. According to data collected by the 2016 Student Wellbeing Survey, 62% of respondents were unable to receive financial assistance from Centrelink due to the Age of Independence being set at 22. Regardless of living out of home, many students are still assessed on the basis of their parent’s income because they are under the age of 22. Young people who decide to attend university do so in the hope of educating themselves for future careers, they are the future of this country and deserve to be financially supported regardless of their age! DITCH CASHLESS WELFARE CARDS Cash welfare cards are not a new policy from the Federal Government, they have been used for years to police the spending of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on income support. The scheme is already in use, acting as a form of compulsory income management that is policing the expenditure of those in receipt of Centrelink, blocking them from spending their payments at particular stores. If introduced for students, cashless welfare cards will not effectively stop addiction to alcohol, drugs and gambling, but will instead police the behaviours of vulnerable people! Links to relevant articles: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/malcolm-turnbull-alan-tudge-flag-national-rollout-of-cashless-welfare-card-met-by-protests-at-cashless-debit-card-trial-20161030-gsdytb.html https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/jan/09/ration-days-again-cashless-welfare-card-ignites-shame STOP CALL CHARGES AND IMPROVE CALL WAITING TIMES Due to funding cuts to the Department of Human Services, call-waiting times are longer than ever, which only exacerbates call charges as calls to Centrelink are charged at timed rates. According to data collected by the Student Wellbeing Survey, run in 2016, 57% of students in receipt of Centrelink have been left waiting on the phone for excessively long periods of time. Students trying to do the right thing by reporting changes in their circumstances or seeking assistance are being priced out of chasing up Centrelink and are left to the whims of an automated system! Links to relevant articles: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/centrelink-call-waiting-racks-up-costs-for-poor/news-story/e0a01674c64da6dc605c58d45a139005 AND ALLOW MORE DISCRETION IN CENTRELINK POLICIES For many students on income support, the policies Centrelink is governed by often make their lives much more difficult if something goes wrong. If there is a personal or medical situation and a student needs to shift from full-time to part-time study, their payments can be lowered and in many cases cut entirely. This lack of flexibility can exacerbate an already difficult situation, putting further unnecessary pressure on individuals. We must not criminalise unemployment or mental health and the lack of flexibility with Centrelink does just that! - If you believe it’s time to #FixCentrelinkNow, sign our petition to demand the Australian Government reform the system that is putting already vulnerable Australians into more unstable times and condemn Social Services Minister Christian Porter for attacking our lowest income earners whilst the Federal Government allows corporate giants go tax free! Contact: NUS National Welfare Officer, Jill Molloy Email: welfare@nus.asn.au Phone: 0423 507 010

  1,201 of 2,000 Signatures

  Created by National Union of Students (Australia)
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  Join The Fight - Demand Disability Rights

  1. Fully-Funded National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The NDIS since its rollout has faced many issues such as over-the-phone planning through NDIS staff with limited training and expertise in the area leading to poor quality plans; no or reduced funding support under the NDIS for transport support, housing and employment assistance, advocacy services, guide dog assistance, and speech therapy among other things; the price setting of disability services at prices that are too low to cover the cost of the services - meaning disability service providers are either having to cover the cost, cancel the service, or make their clients pay up front - as well as struggle under limited resources for staff training and expansion (leading to concerns about privatisation); and there not being enough NDIS staff per NDIS participant which is leading to delays in approved plans. The Government needs to fix NDIS now and give people and students with disabilities the care they need. 2. Fully-Resourced Campus Counselling and Disability Services The NUS Wellbeing Report found that two thirds of young people rated their mental health as only fair or poor, while 35% reported that suicidality impacted on their ability to study. Despite this, campus counselling services are frequently under-funded and under-resourced, with long wait times, poor experiences with campus counselling services and the general stigma of seeking help impacting services. Some universities still do not have access plans for physical or mental health, or they are under-marketed or promoted on campus. Universities need to treat counselling and disability services as important aspects of their duty of care to students and fund them adequately. 3. Accessible campus facilities and academic curriculum Campuses need to become more accessible for students - this includes but is not limited to wheelchair accessibility, as well as sensory sensitive classrooms and spaces, and events. Further, some universities still do not offer special consideration for mental illness, adequate exemptions for missing study, accessible material for those who have to miss physical classes, or academic material that is sensory-sensitive, made for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, or who are blind or visually impaired. Universities need to be fully-funded so they can be accessible for everyone. 4. Funding Mental Healthcare and removing the Medicare cap Mental Healthcare is chronically underfunded in Australia, and the Federal Government only offers 10 sessions per year under its Medicare Mental Healthcare plan. This is not sufficient for people and locks them out of the mental healthcare system if they need more than 10 sessions per year. Nobody should have to choose between their financial wellbeing or their mental health. The Government needs to take mental healthcare more seriously, by adequately funding it and removing the 10 session per-year cap through expanding Medicare assistance.

  30 of 100 Signatures

  Created by NUS Disabilities
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  #RAISETHERATE of New Start

  The National Union of Students is calling on the Federal Government to increase commonwealth income support programs such as Newstart. It’s been 24 years since any government has increased the payments for newstart. Anglicare Rental Affordability Snapshot, there were only 3 rental properties in the country that were affordable for students under Newstart. Under Youth Allowance there are only 2 affordable rental properties. The NUS and Anglicare Student Housing Survey in 2017 reported that: - 82% of working students said that the amount of time they spend at work hurts their studies. - 85% of students do not believe that Centrelink provides them with enough to live and study Former Prime Minister John Howard has even admitted the freeze on NewStart has gone on too long. We are joining with organisations such as the Everybody's home campaign and ACOSS to raise the rate of Newstart and fix youth homelessness and poverty.

  106 of 200 Signatures

  Created by National Union of Students (Australia)
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  We Will Not Be Silent - End Sexual Violence

  The Australian Human Rights Commission’s 'Change the Course' report found that in 2015/16 51% of students surveyed reported that they had been sexually harassed at University and 9% of students surveyed reported that they had been sexually assaulted at University. The report also found that Women Students, Queer Students, Trans Students, Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander Students, Students of Colour and Students with Disabilities are more likely to be sexually harassed or assaulted than any other student. But perhaps the most alarming figures to emerge from this report is that 68% of students who had experienced sexual harassment at university and 40% of students who had been sexually assaulted on campus DID NOT report the incident to the university because they didn't think it would be considered serious enough. "I didn't think they would believe me. I thought they would think I made it all up" - (Student, 21) Universities have no reason for inaction. Students will not be silent - It’s time to end sexual violence

  142 of 200 Signatures

  Created by NUS Women
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  Bury the Bill - Stop Government Changes to Student Debt

  The National Union of Students and the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations represent over 1.4 million students and are deeply concerned about this proposed legislation. This legislation would see the repayment threshold for student debt lowered to $45,000. This unfairly targets lower income earners and therefore disproportionately impacts women and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and graduates. This proposed bill would also create a lifetime student debt cap of $104k as we move into a future workforce where graduates will be expected to retrain or further specialise multiple times throughout their working life. We need to be preparing our generation for a lifetime of learning. The proposed legislation is shortsighted, and will fail to address escalating student debt. Help us #BuryTheBill and contact a member of the crossbench.

  1,357 of 2,000 Signatures

  Created by Mark Pacey
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  Women unite! Fight back against the Liberals!

  Women at university are worse off under a Liberal government. Health The Liberal Government has scrapped bulk-billing incentives for pathology services and diagnostic imaging. This means that women may have to pay up-front $30 for a Pap smear, blood or urine test, and from January 2017 as much as $173 for x-ray or ultrasound imaging. Women regularly rely upon these tests for the prevention or early detection of pregnancy, obstetric complications, cancers, STIs and UTIs The Liberal Government freeze on indexation of the rebate for GP consultations under the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) until 2020 has already seen hundreds of practitioners around the country cease to offer bulk billing as they are forced to transfer increased costs onto patients. Most women students can not afford these increased costs of healthcare, and are forced to forgo necessary doctors visits, diagnostic testing and treatment. This poses critical risks for women’s health. Without early diagnosis and treatment, risk of poorer prognosis is high and the burden of disease, personal and financial costs on patients are increased. Education- cuts to funding The 2016-2017 budget revealed that Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberals want to decrease funding to tertiary institutions by 20% as well as lower the tax repayment threshold by 10%. It was also strongly indicated that the Liberals will bring back fee deregulation. Universities are unlikely to put their hands in their own pockets to make up for funding cuts, choosing rather to cut vital student support services than risk jeopardising ‘important’ business projects Cuts to higher education will mean that women who are already disproportionately affected but a lack of funding will take longer to pay off their HECS debt and face a greater pay gap in the workforce. Cuts to services Severe lack of funding available for women’s services on university campuses. When the federal government make cuts to the higher education sector, often basic services relied on by women are the first to go. Universities across Australia do not prioritise the welfare of students, this consequently has a greater effect on women due to structural barriers which make it difficult women to go to university and study. As revealed in the results of the 2016 ‘Talk about it’ survey women students are likely to face harassment and sexual violence on university campuses. Due to a number of factors, including inadequate help services, women are strongly deterred from seeking help from university. Women should be able to balance university life as well as home life, and should not be forced to choose between the two. Services focused on assisting students who are also mothers have been neglected for too long. Many universities are lacking parent rooms, for mothers to comfortably breastfeed. Underfunded services have a detrimental effect on those who use them most, women are already limited by a culture of misogyny on campus and an initial lack of policies and services to protect them. Due to the lack of services and policies, many universities do not adequately address incidents of harassment on campus, making university an unsafe place for women. Universities receive funding from the student services and amenities fee annually, a small portion of which is usually allocated to the student union on campus. The rest of the SSAF is allocated to funding university projects, a funding increase to women's services could be done through this avenue. When the Liberal government make cuts to higher education universities will make cuts to student services. The Solution In order to address the stark difficulties of women accessing higher education the NUS women's department is running an O week and semester one campaign which will encourage women to support, promote and attend the National Day of Action on March 22nd. This NUS women’s department campaign will aim to put pressure on universities to start addressing the specific concerns of women, through more funding to services that women access. The campaign will produce a petition and towards the end of the semester the NUS Women’s Department will be submitting a government submission. The campaign will Lobby federal parliamentary representatives for accessible health care and education for women in the lead up to the federal budget. Lobby universities to provide more funding for student services, especially services that women frequently use, e.g childcare services and parenting rooms. Encourage and promote the March 22nd National Day of Action Focus on supporting women in higher education in the face of an aggressive conservative federal government. Highlight the challenges that women face in higher education specifically around education and health. Produce a petition pushing universities to commit more funding to student services Produce a government submission detailing the need to adequately fund the higher education sector, and how funding cuts hurt women the most, particularly women from marginalised backgrounds. Get Involved Promote and sign the NUS Womens petition! Sign up to the email list to receive updates on the campaign! Attend and promote the March 22nd National Day of Action. Sign a letter on behalf of your student organisation, pushing federal MPs to commit to not supporting cuts to higher education and health. Sign a letter on behalf of your student organisation, pushing universities to provide more funding for student services, especially services that women frequently use, e.g childcare services and parenting rooms. Like the NUS Women’s Department page for updates Change your cover photo, like and share posts about the campaign.

  303 of 400 Signatures

  Created by Abby Stapleton
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  Stop the War on Students

  https://youtu.be/RdeFLgDFCts The Liberals have already made it clear who the first victims of the 2017 budget will be. It’s young people who will have money taken out of their pockets. It's students who will face higher fees and more debt, studying in underfunded institutions. It's universities put under even more financial pressure and asked to offer more. These changes will mean an 8% fee hike, earlier HECS repayments for students and funding cuts for universities. And all of it to pay for billions of dollars of hand-outs to multinationals. Similar cuts and policies were defeated time and time again under Tony Abbott. Students ran a massive campaign and we are ready to do it again. Find out more about our campaign here: https://www.facebook.com/makeeducationfreeagain/ For more information regarding the changes: http://thenewdaily.com.au/money/your-budget/2017/05/01/budget-2017-university-degrees/

  7,779 of 8,000 Signatures

  Created by Sophie Johnston and Anneke Demanuele
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  Keep our Elected Representatives

  Flinders University Council is the highest decision making body in the university. There is legislation before the South Australian Parliament that will cut the size of Council and the number of elected staff and students. The current composition of the Council includes 4 elected staff and 3 elected students in a total of 21 members. Eleven members are external to the University. Cutting any of the elected positions will compromise the access of external Council members to the varied experiences and opinions of staff and students, and reduce the ability of staff and students to participate in decision-making.

  198 of 200 Signatures

  Created by Jordon Oreilly
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  SAY NO TO FLAGSHIP COURSES! Tell Turnbull to put an end to university fee deregulation

  Over 70% of Australians are against fee deregulation, due to concerns it will shackle students with a lifetime of debt and stop marginalised Australians from accessing quality education. Despite this, the Government has still not listened and want to try bring in Fee Deregulation through the back door. The Flagship course program will allow Universities to charge fully deregulated fees for 20% of the courses they offer. This will see some students priced out of their degree of choice and see some degrees having significantly more funding than others. The only thing that should determine what you are studying is your marks, not your bank balance. The flagship course program is in conjunction with a $2 Billion cut in Federal funding, which takes Australia further back than it already is when it comes to higher education funding. In the OECD, Australia is ranked 33rd out of the 34 countries in higher education funding, and we spend 0.7% of our GDP on higher education, as opposed to the OECD average of 1.1%. Simon Birmingham is only pulling Australia further out of step with the world. Tell the Government to scrap their plans for Flagship courses and sign this petition! Max Murphy NUS National Education Officer 0413041083 education@nus.asn.au

  42 of 100 Signatures

  Created by Max Murphy