VSU Transition Fund: Unfair, Unworkable, Discriminatory

CAPA has today described Family First Senator Steve Fielding a disgrace after failing to ensure that student organisations - which provide essential representation and advocacy - be included in the government's $81.6 million transitional funding grants.

The VSU transition fund and its allocation in the 2006-07 Budget will ensure that nothing other than sport and recreation are funded.

In its recent DEST submission, CAPA has labelled the $81.6 million transitional fund, which can only be used to prop up sporting bodies on campus, as little more than money for fertiliser and bindi killer.

Jason Hart, president of CAPA, stated that "the transitional fund is grossly inadequate and is incapable of meeting the broader needs of students'." When it comes time for the funding grants to be allocated, CAPA does not wish to see opportunities for electoral pork-barrelling as was the case under the former Minister for Environment, Sport & Territories, Ros Kelly in the sports rorts affair', said Mr Hart.

CAPA therefore has called on Minister Julie Bishop to remove herself from the process of grants allocation and to hand responsibility over to the Commonwealth Auditor-General's office.

Family First Senator Steve Fielding, through his dirty little deal with former Education Minister Nelson, has guaranteed that quality education, student organisations, representation, advocacy, childcare, health and welfare, learning development centres, clubs and societies together with the provision of essential services on campus across Australia will languish and decline.