Salient. Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 42 No. 13. June 11 1979

Who me, Racist?

Who me, Racist?

[ unclear: Whenever] god it is that governs such [ unclear: wining cided] that we would have an [ unclear: rc] Wednesday, but it appeared that [ unclear: apple] still emotionally exhausted [ unclear: after] the GM, and it was a small group [ unclear: who] turned up. When Andrew [ unclear: and] the meeting to order at ten past [ unclear: out] out 150 people were rattling about [ unclear: empty] Union Hall, doing their best [ unclear: give] crowd impression. Actualy, a feeling of lethargy appeared [ unclear: private] the entire meeting, and progress [ unclear: ver] fatter than a medium meander. We [ unclear: ntly] [ unclear: roozed] through apologies and minutes, on stirred themselves for a brief minute [ unclear: atters] arising. This particular part of [ unclear: SCR] devoted to learned discourses on the [ unclear: infu] the last meeting.

Drawing of people playing cards

[ unclear: Fatback] campaign

[ unclear: This eing] the case, Paul Normans intrusion [ unclear: raer] inappropriate, but no-one could [ unclear: botled] shutting him up. Paul's problem [ unclear: that] after sweating blood to get it through [ unclear: meating], he wanted to rescind a motion, is [ unclear: minion] was to the effect that all SRC [ unclear: reseatives] should speak against any attempts [ unclear: cutivcrstiy] expenditure. Since this mo— [ unclear: passed], the cuts have actually been [ unclear: rounded] and Paul felt it was pointless to [ unclear: expressing] discontent with them:- it [ unclear: rely istracts] the resources of the [ unclear: association] actually doing something about [ unclear: Sms]

Wilson also spoke saying that in the [ unclear: sent] context, the motion was a hinderance [ unclear: the mpaign.] A vote was taken, and the [ unclear: emoving] the motion was passed. [ unclear: Furer] his, Simon proposed a motion [ unclear: instrucion] representatives to ensure that the [ unclear: litry] welfare services be made an abso— [ unclear: parity], and not be cut. Simon said that [ unclear: the] most underfinanced areas of the [ unclear: very] where we can least of all afford to [ unclear: use].

[ unclear: The] notion was passed and it was time [ unclear: rts]. And guess who spoke first. [ unclear: ght], it was Simon, giving his [ unclear: re-] [ unclear: Education] Campaign Co-ordination speech he outlined what the [ unclear: sitic] now and what events are planned [ unclear: theture.] Finishing last week was the [ unclear: he] year competition, funds from [ unclear: hichent] to the campaign fund.

The week we will be the privileged [ unclear: poessc] of our very own pin-ball [ unclear: competions] Peter Beach's eyes lit up like [ unclear: dis-] [ unclear: icetylene] torches at the thought. [ unclear: the] coming weeks there will be a [ unclear: consiera] amount of action we were told. On [ unclear: wednesday] there will be a rally in Pigeon [ unclear: work] the subject of fees and bursaries [ unclear: when] there will be a trial of Mery [ unclear: Weing.] with the possibility of a public [ unclear: exevition] or afters. On Friday, there will be a organised by NOSAC, to protest a— he $l500 fees they have to pay. Or [ unclear: ght] there will be a wake in the lounge, [ unclear: ter] there will be a rally at the [ unclear: cetuary] to protest about the very harsh [ unclear: meatres] almost certainly will be introduced.

We have received heartening support from the Association of University Teachers, who have agreed to a cancellation of lectures on July 26, but unfortunately the Professorial Board has narrowly rejected this proposal. What is planned for this "closed day" is more in the line of an "Open Day" where the public would be invited to 'varsity'. There could be siminars on the meaning of the cuts, what improvements could be instituted to education in New Zealand and what the direction of New Zealand's education is. There will be a lunchtimc march to Parliment, and (hopefully) a rock concert to wind up the day.

Back to NZUSA's May Council

Leaving the crowd reeling - in a rather dozy way - from this super long report, Simon surrended the floor to Virginia Adams who gave a report from the Women's Commission at May Council. Apparently the story down there was that, while almost all the existing policy was reaffirmed, there was a lot of discussion on a motion put forward by Victoria saying that the oppression of women was linked to the oppression of classes. This motion was passed by council after lengthy discussion, but a question came from SRC as to whether this was in agreement with Vic policy. Virginia replied that it related to a motion passed by SCR back in 1977.

Another Council motion which had aroused some discussion was whether the WRAC coordinator should have an increase in honoraria, but this motion was lost in view of the difficult financial circumstances of NZ USA. The priorities for NZUSA in the fields of Womens rights will be:
1) opposition to the CS and A Act
2) research into the position and status of women in university with the aim of promoting general understanding and awareness of the particular hardships faced by women in the universities.
3) research into the financial position of women in universities.

Further reports came from Paul Norman, about the Environment group, and Victoria Quade, the Womens rights officer, who revealed that there will be a variety of films about women shown in the near future.

Then there came Stephen A'Court, who gave us the run down on the National Commission at Council, and in an attempt to bring our policy in to line with that of NZ USA, proposed three motions that (to his obvious surprise) generated an anormous amount of discussion.

The Haka Party

The first motion was That VUWSA condemns all conscious and unconscious acts of racism. The first problem that came up, was what was an unconscious racist act? Stephen explanined that this was where the doer did not realise he or she was being racist. This appeared to be unacceptable to the meeting, and Steve Watson proposed an amendment (duly passed) that the word unconscious be removed and unintentional be put in its place.

But still there was opposition. Ann Riddle said we should oppose this motion because racism is a state of mind. If a person doesn't mean to be racist, then his or her actions are not racist. A person called Lindy Cassidy, who said she was just an uninformed arts student, then spoke, saying that meaning well doesn't negate the horrific nature of a person: act, an emotion followed up by Geoff Adams who said we should be attempting to raise people's awareness of just what they are doing when they commit a rascist act. The final nail in the coffin of the opposition was Stephen A'Court saying that it was entirely proper to condemn any rascist act. The motion was, finally, passed, and we moved on to motion the second.

That VUWSA recognised that the violence associated with the haka party at Auckland University was a direct result of domestic racism amd the inability of society's normal channels to adequately bring about social change, Debate progressed along several distinct lines. Did this motion suggest that under some conditions violence could be condoned? Stephen pointed out that the haka party had been going for 25 years, and each year Maori groups had protested about it and been ignored. It had, he said, reached the stage where peaceful protests acheived nothing. Another area of discussion emerged from this, namely had He Taua adequately explored all peaceful methods of solving the problem The general feeling seemed to be that maybe they had not. The two other areas debated were whether we should be condemning a group of people for their actions, but it was pointed out that nowhere did this motion condemn anyone, and the point that maybe we should be a bit more careful in future about what capping stunts we have.

This motion was lost, but it showed us the problems we face when trying to discuss an incident such as this where there were no witnesses from Vic. We were presented with two contradictatory accounts (both second hand) of what happened, and really found it very hard to decide just what had happened at the incident.

The third motion will hopefully clear the issue up somewhat, as it was That VUWSA fully supports the NZUSA tour of a Maori activist to speak on general issues of racism. This motion was passed, this tour should give us an opportunity to see and hear about the realities of racism in New Zealand, and perhaps prompt us to take some positive action to fight it.

The Economy

The other motion to be discussed at the meeting read that this SCR opposed the recent Government moves lifting price controls on sonic items and encouraging foreign investment in New Zealand. Predictably, there was fairly heated debate, one side coming down in favour of overseas investment, on the grounds that it assisted our own industries provided overseas funds and expertise, provided jobs and was generally a good idea. Against this, there were those who say that foreign investment is out and out exploitation, and quoted figures of the outflow of money from New Zealand in the form of company profits. These people were concerned that New Zealands resources are being used for the benefit of the overseas companies, not New Zcalanders. Victoria Quade seemed to sum the attitude of supporters of the motion when she said "We don't want to ban foreign investment, just to control it." This was the choice facing the meeting and the decision went in favour of the motion.

This was the end of the meeting, but it was a pity more people had not turned up, as it was a good example of SRC's potential as a forum for debate. Arguments from both sides were heard, which is what democracy is all about, and all I can say is come along next week and ensure that SRC continues to function as the democratic, policy making body of the Students Association.

Andrew Beach