Uni students get a lesson in stealing
By IAN ROYALL, education reporter
21feb03
UNIVERSITY students were yesterday urged to steal to survive, as part of a campaign to highlight poverty on campuses.
The National Union of Students unveiled a poster bearing the words: "If Centrelink can't get you over the poverty line, try theft."
NUS president Daniel Kyriacou conceded the campaign was a stunt aimed at raising awareness of student poverty.
"This poster is completely tongue in cheek and university students will see the irony in it," he said. "If you are a student getting Centrelink payments, you will be 20 to 40 per cent below the poverty line."
Education Minister Brendan Nelson said the students were doing a disservice to their cause.
"The students are obviously perfectly entitled to express whatever point of view they want on any issue, but you've got to draw the line when what they are doing is advocating that students steal, break the law, from other people," he said. "There would be several million pensioners, low-income families and sole parents in this country who are similarly on social security benefits who would not be particularly impressed."
A meeting between Dr Nelson and Mr Kyriacou scheduled for late yesterday was cancelled.
Monash University law professor Bob Williams said the NUS risked prosecution of incitement under the Crimes Act of 1958.
"But a poster such as this is stupid and irresponsible and should be ignored by authorities," Professor Williams said.
Victorian Council of Social Service policy analyst Carolyn Atkins said the campaign illustrated the financial strain faced by students who had to work more and more to pay their bills.
"The poster does highlight that income support for students is majorly inadequate."
Opposition education spokeswoman Jenny Macklin urged Dr Nelson to explain deregulation of course fees to students.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,6016057%255E2862,00.html
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