Wayne Mapp

By Rory MacKinnon for NZPA

Wellington, Sept 11 NZPA - National has made its first public show of support for a bill to dismantle compulsory student unions.

National would support ACT's Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill at its first reading this month, associate education minister Wayne Mapp said yesterday.

The bill, originally sponsored by Dr Mapp's fellow associate education minister Heather Roy of ACT, would require student unions to hold annual membership drives to receive their levies.

Under the current law, unions with compulsory membership can collect levies automatically as part of students' enrolment fees.

National's own membership bill in 1998 saw a series of binding referenda on campuses: while around half the polytechnic unions turned voluntary, Auckland and Waikato were the only university unions who opted to do so.

ACT has been the only party since to openly campaign for further law reform, and National distanced itself from the issue in the run-up to last year's election.

National's then-tertiary education spokesperson Paul Hutchison told union representatives in August that the party would not support any changes to existing legislation.

But Dr Mapp signalled an about-face this week, saying National would support the bill at least as far as a select committee, where submissions on it would be heard.

National would listen to the views of submitters before deciding whether to support the bill further, he said.

"Students remain the only group in society forced to join a union," he said.

"Students should be able to make their own decision about joining a student association -- this ensures that their freedom of association is upheld."

Education minister Anne Tolley did not respond to requests for comment.