This is discussed before (below) but bears repeating:
$a = null; ($a =& null; does not parse) is NOT the same as unset($a);
$a = null; replaces the value at the destination of $a with the null value;
If you chose to use a convention like $NULL = NULL;
THEN, you could say $a =& $NULL to break any previous reference assignment to $a (setting it of course to $NULL), which could still get you into trouble if you forgot and then said $a = '5'. Now $NULL would be '5'.
Moral: use unset when it is called for.
