Salient. Official Newspaper of Victoria University of Wellington Students Association. Vol 40 No. 11. May 23 1977

Another View

Another View

Wherever the cracks start appearing in this fragile world of ours you'll find a student nose sticking through trying to come up with a policy on it.

As student organisations go NZUSA lives up to this description, having 381 policy motions at the start of the recent May Council and over 400 at its completion.

NZUSA's interest in the world starts at home with the 95 motions under the heading 'Education'. These motions give our views on integration of state schools, everything you ever wanted in the way of bursaries, policy on an equitable assessment system etc., Currently policy is concentrated on areas related to bursaries and assessment (with new policy calling for group assessment) and fighting the cutbacks on overseas students.

In the dubiously named section 'Finance and Administration' which includes all organisation motions and the NZUSA Budget Vic moved the following policy on the NZUSA commercial empire was passed:
1. That the aims of SSH Ltd. be to provide goods and services to the members of NZUSA and that where possible these be at a lower cost than otherwise available and that they contribute to the strength of NZUSA.
2. That SSH Ltd. set its charges at such levels as the Board sees fit to maintain a profit level sufficient to assure the long-term viability of the companies. The student directors who hold the majority on the
SSH Board are now to be elected for two year terms and to be charged with bringing reports to May and August Councils on :
a. the future direction of SSH Ltd and its subsidiaries.
b. the financial viability and current activities and proposed activities.

Another interesting motion that was passed is the following: That in matters of policy where contradictions emerge between the commercial and political wings of NZUSA they be resolved at General Meetings of NZUSA (Inc.)

The basis of International policy is laid with motion

[ unclear: 11]

:-

That NZUSA holds imperialism, colonialism and neocolonialism to be the major stumbling blocks to self-determination, national independence and peace for the peoples of the world. NZUSA therefore resolves to support those movements, both in New Zealand and throughout the world, that are struggling against imperialism in all its forms.

As well there is a policy attacking the contention of the US and USSR in the same terms as well as support for the 3rd World proposals for a new World Economic Order.

A motion forming the National Overseas Students Action Committee as a sub-committee of NZUSA with a 600 dollar budget was the most important of the new policy passed. The committee is first to be active on the Cutback issue and the Hisham campaign but is expected to expand its activities in future to cover the whole area of Overseas students action.

Policy opposing US colonialism in Micronesia (it has two strategic nuclear weapons bases there) was brought in and the committment to a nuclear free zone in the South Pacific was stepped up. Research into military alliances and military research in NZ universities was also stated. Active support was declared for November's planned anti-apartheid conference.

The section entitled 'National' means 'New Zealand' which means 'anything' and sometimes means that you can't see the policy for the forests. Actually, forest conservation forms a major part of the National policy although its rarely actioned. The Enviroment, Energy, Drugs, Foreign Control, Racism, Civil Liberties, Fishing etc. all rate a mention.

Welfare policy consists of three long motions (about a page each) which makes it too hard for me to attempt to select snippets or such from them. Suffice to say the establishment of a scheme of dental care on campuses is among them.

Womens policy is a rapidly growing group of motions called from other policy areas and as yet without the coherence or totality of the other sections. Much of it is made upon the spot at Councils and Womens policy is thus less representative of campus feeling than some other areas.

NZUSA policy is not wanking - it is the only basis on which the three elected officers and two appointed research officers can act. On the basis of this policy and the priorities set at Priorities Plenary you get the political force that is NZUSA. As much as the policies hopefully represent some coalescence of constituent policy so do the actions of the National Office hopefully concentrate the isolated actions of the constituent associations into a unified expression of the interests of some 38,000 students.

- A Student Observer at Council.

The International Vice-President of NZUSA, Paul Watson, handed in his resignation at May Council.

Nominations for the position are now open. For more information, contact The President, NZUSA, P.O. Box 9047 Wellington, or phone 856669

Bert Eastoe: President of Lincoln, supported our fishermen.

Bert Eastoe: President of Lincoln, supported our fishermen.

Grant Stinson: Massey's Resident and the other half of the Agricultural lobby.

Grant Stinson: Massey's Resident and the other half of the Agricultural lobby.