'Postgraduate and international students now pay, for example, the
full cost of a zone 1 monthly ticket ($109.60), while local
undergraduate students pay HALF that.'
...
'A spokesman for Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky said the system was fair, and ensured that students "IN GENUINE NEED" were given travel discounts.' [The Age, Wednesday Feb 25 2009, 6, emphases added]
The system is NOT fair.
The Melbourne Graduate Student Association (GSA) respectfully disagrees with Minister Lynne Kosky. Over 1,500 students at our university have signed our paper petition in support of postgraduate and international student concessions. The University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor and Provost state that the public transport system is "not equitable".
The GSA is calling for a public transport system that is fair to postgraduate and international students. Victoria is the ONLY STATE in Australia that does not grant travel concessions to postgraduate students, and is one of ONLY TWO STATES that do not grant travel concessions to all international students.
With your signature, we call on the Government to end the unfair "two-tier system".
Download to collect signatures on paper >
Link to our petition online >