The next crisis

I think Work Choices is a bigger issue than you seem to think. I know a number of deep blue voters who think that the legislation is a betrayal of Australian values.

Workchoices is fantastic.

Have you been Decapitated by mutated flying sea bass?

are there any students left on austudy? now that you have to be 25, or 3 years into the workforce or whatever it is to qualify? the govt has practically made it law for grown adults to have to stay on their parents' tit 'til their mid-20s or have to juggle full-time work with full-time study. no way can you afford to support yourself in cities these days plus pay for uni books on a part-time wage.

either that or miss out on a uni education. ok for those whose parents either live near the uni and can afford to have their grown up kids stay on at home, or who come from the country and can afford to pay the costs of two households.

No idea. Forget austudy -all I meant was students on student incomes rather than $100K a year might struggle to find the $600 or whatever it costs to join the sports club..

WAITRESS
Hi, I have a phone call here for the
John Smith party.

GUY 1
Hello?
(pause)
Yes, I have a friend named John Smith.
(pause)
That's right, he's in Dr. Evil's
private army.
(pause)
What? He's dead?
(pause)
Decapitated by mutated flying sea
bass? Oh my God! OK, thank you.

He hangs up.

GUY 2
(to Guy 1)
Hey Bill, what's wrong? Was that
John? Is he coming late?

GUY 1
Guys, John's not coming.

GUY 2
Why?

GUY 1
He was decapitated by mutated flying
sea bass.

GUYS
(upset)
Oh no, oh my God, etc.

Oh yes. I remember that now!

EAW - I agree that workchoices has a sting that may be underestimated.

<blockquote>Quote<br><hr>I can attest to the fairly disastrous effects of VSU at universities - all the services ran by student unions are gone - dental, child care, doctors etc.<hr></blockquote>Mind you, there was a fair amount of middle class welfare going on - free doctors for the North Shore and Rose Bay luvvies, heavily subsidised ski clubs, and so on - a bit much really. Presumably if today's students want all these things going on on their campus, they will voluntarily pay union fees? It wasn't all going to the People's Liberation Front of Erskineville.

Ian - it won't impact on the rich students. It was the poorer student who NEEDED the subsidised dental, housing, free doctors, emergency loans, etc etc

Even the ski club is missing the point. When I was a student I was poor as shit. I was still able to hire equipment for $5 from MUSKI to go nordic skiing - not something I could have otherwise afforded.

The issue of voluntary fees also misses the point - the services are gone. Even with voluntary fee paying. They can't run them - they're not offered to people who take out voluntary student membership in 2007.

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>Presumably if today's students want all these things going on on their campus, they will voluntarily pay union fees? <hr></blockquote> that requires organisation, ian. by you know, say, a student union.