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VSM: it’s all anyone can talk about.

It’s been a somewhat lukewarm bore for a while, with everyone from Metiria Turei to Michael Woodhouse speculating that VSM wouldn’t pass before the election. But on Wednesday, when the final clause of the bill was discussed at the committee of the house stage, OUSA were shocked out of their complacency. It’s quite possible that VSM will pass at the next Member’s sitting day, and even if it doesn’t, it looks very very likely that VSM will pass before the election. I’m not a betting woman, but if I were, I’d place at least $2 on it.

Before last Wednesday, I’d never watched Parliamentary TV, and I certainly never expected to watch it with such gusto. There were some wonderful moments amongst the filibustering (when a politician talks more smack than usual to prolong the inevitable), such as National MP Hon Tau Henare’s passionate exclamation; “we won, you lost, eat that” (at which point, OUSA Colleges and Communications Representative Francisco Hernandez who was in a neighbouring room, commented; “Fucking arrogant cunts, seriously, fuck them”).

Of course, VSM isn’t exactly a surprise. Everyone’s known about VSM for yonks; it was introduced way back in 2009 after all. Yet it’s only now (or rather, last Friday, sadly after we went to print. We always miss out on the good stuff) that OUSA is protesting the bill. It probably should have happened months, if not years ago; OUSA have been seemingly inactive on the VSM front since forever. It’s probably too little too late; the chances of John Key changing his stance on VSM because he saw a few hundred students yelling “1, 2, 3, 4, we don’t want your stinkin law, 5, 6, 7, 8, VSM is what we hate” and waving placards reading “OUSA more like NOUSA” are slim to none.

It may be too late, it may be ineffective, but it’s still nice to see OUSA doing something.

Once again, it’s spearheaded by Logan Edgar; only he could lead a protest organised a mere 48 hours beforehand in front of “ladies’ man” John Key. That said, only Logan would post on Sir Roger Douglas’ wall while fairly intoxicated referring to him first as a “dinosaur”, next as a “cunt”. I like to think of Logan as an adorable puppy that inadvertently stumbles on greatness sometimes but also shits a lot.

So in short, it looks like VSM is actually going to happen at long last. When will it go through? Will OUSA have a decent contingency plan? Which MP will Logan drunkenly rip into next? Stay tuned.
 
Love always,

Julia Hollingsworth