VUWSA Accused of Political Bias Over Hosting Student Allowance Workshop with Greens

Last month, VUWSA launched their Study Wage For All campaign, calling on the government to implement a weekly $385 universal student allowance for all those enrolled in tertiary education.

VUWSA’s campaign is being launched with two workshops announced last week, hosted by the Greens’ Wellington Central candidate Tamatha Paul and current Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick. 

The campaign has sparked controversy for its alignment to the Green Party, whose recent election policy which would see a $385 guaranteed minimum income to everyone in New Zealand, including students. 

The calculations for VUWSA’s $385 study wage policy were based on research by the Parliamentary Library, which can only be commissioned by Members of Parliament. Salient understands Chlöe Swarbrick commissioned the research for Green Party policy and has since provided it to VUWSA.

Natalia Albert is the Wellington Central candidate for The Opportunities Party and a current postgraduate student at VUW. She told Salient it’s unfair for VUWSA to be “campaigning with the Greens”.

Albert said she's written to VUWSA president Jessica Ye, calling for her to put a halt to the workshops with Swarbrick and Paul, and to make an official statement about the neutrality of VUWSA and the student wage campaign.

“It lands like a pile of shit, especially when they're claiming political neutrality,” Albert said.

“Institutions play a huge role in fueling or diffusing polarisation. One way to avoid them fueling it this election is by demanding that they run a fair and transparent process.”

“If you're going to be politically neutral you can't do [the workshops] with just one party, you either give every party the opportunity or you don’t campaign with the Greens,” she said.

Ye defended the campaign, saying that although VUWSA is non-partisan, that doesn't mean they are politically neutral—rather, they are politically active.

“A universal student allowance is something that [VUWSA] has campaigned on literally since the 1990s,” Ye said. 

Ye argues that because Paul is a former VUWSA President, and Swarbrick has long been advocating for universal student allowance, it makes sense for them to host the workshops.

“Whilst Chlöe and Tamatha are [hosting the workshops], they are not there in a capacity where we are publicly endorsing them. They're there because they support this specific kaupapa.”

Ye said that, at this stage, VUWSA have no intention of postponing the workshops, but have put out a public statement addressing Albert’s concerns.