Salient. Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 42 No. 13. June 11 1979
PSA Defined — Erview With Virginia Adams. — Chairperson of the Progressive Student Alliance
PSA Defined
[ unclear: Erview] With Virginia Adams. — Chairperson of the Progressive Student Alliance.
[ unclear: ent:] What is the function of the PSA?
[ unclear: ms:] The PSA is an affiliated club of Students' Association whose members concerned about the attacks to people's [ unclear: ocrttic] rights that have occured both [ unclear: de] and outside the university. Examples [ unclear: these] attacks include the SIS legislation 1977 and the current cuts to education [ unclear: nding.] What the PSA seeks to do is [ unclear: ate] provide an internal platform for [ unclear: ate], providing a left wing perspective on [ unclear: nts] both inside the university and in the of the world. Secondly the PSA [ unclear: citons] as a pressure group independent [ unclear: he] Students' Association.
[ unclear: you thmk] the PSA is fulfilling these [ unclear: ction?]
[ unclear: very] much so.
[ unclear: one] going on, perhaps you could give [ unclear: come] information as to the way the [ unclear: is] administrated.
[ unclear: are] it no membership as such in the [ unclear: Anyone] who is interested and [ unclear: nes] to attend a meeting or participate [ unclear: any] activities is welcome. Within this [ unclear: se] organisation, there are of course [ unclear: ple] who Ilea passive role ( [ unclear: participa-in] discussions) and those who take a [ unclear: ce] active role (for instance putting out [ unclear: lets] and organising activities). Because [ unclear: such] a loose thing, anyone can take [ unclear: in] any PSA activities.
[ unclear: Other] words it functions as an ordinary [ unclear: versity] club?
[ unclear: w] many people usually take part in the [ unclear: i] meetings and activities?
[ unclear: out] 30 people regularly attend.
[ unclear: re] have recently been accusations that PSA dominates the Association, [ unclear: particuraly] the SRCs. Do you agree?
[ unclear: solutely] not.
[ unclear: The] several people (including Michael [ unclear: Carregg)] have pointed out that within the 4 there is a wide array of very [ unclear: experien-] and competent speakers, and that it [ unclear: ts ough] these people speakingat SRCs that PSA dominates the Association.
[ unclear: tile] there are people in the PSA who are [ unclear: quent] speakers, it is ur realistic to assert [ unclear: it] they dominate the meetings. If SRC [ unclear: es] vote in favour of a motion put [ unclear: forword] by people involved in the PSA it is [ unclear: because] the meeting has been convinced of [ unclear: as] worth of the motion. Is this dominnating [ unclear: Association?]
[ unclear: It] example of what people are concerned [ unclear: out] is that the PSA holds meetings on [ unclear: wednesdays], apparently to discuss matters [ unclear: at] will be raised at the following day's [ unclear: RC.] Is this a way of ensuring that all the [ unclear: A]-sponsored motions get through?
[ unclear: While] the PSA does hold meetings on [ unclear: Tuesdays], it is not a regular occurence for the [ unclear: eeting] to discuss the next day's SRC — [ unclear: is] has only happened three or four times is year. When this does occur, it is so at the supporters of the motion can [ unclear: varify] in their minds just what the issues [ unclear: e], and what the arguments for and against [ unclear: e.] If the PSA does decide to give its [ unclear: support] to a motion it is only after a full [ unclear: scussion] has occurred.
[ unclear: oes] this mean that block voting from the [ unclear: SA] can occur?
[ unclear: Not] at all. All the PSA can hope to do is [ unclear: make] the issues obvious. If, for instance, [ unclear: people] present at the meeting decided that [ unclear: ney] want to support a motion the PSA oesn't, they are very welcome to do so.
[ unclear: One] of the clear implications of the leaflets [ unclear: was] that the PSA is merely a student branch of the Wellington Marxist Leninist [ unclear: Organsation.] Is this the case?
Not at all. While some members of the WMLO are active in the PSA, Labour Party supporters, members of the Young Socialists and even people such as Andrew Tees and Alan Philips are regular attenders of meetings. All the PSA is is a group of progressive students and it is quite incorrect to label all such people as members of the WMLO.
To more on a bit, the PSA could be, looeely, described in a left-wing organisation. What is the left-wing perspective you talk about, particularly in the cantext of the students association?
Our main difference from the on-campus right-wing is that we don't think the cuts to student welfare can be divorced from the outside world. We see the cuts as part of the general economic problems of the country and think they must be looked at in this light. We are especially concerned about the effects the education cuts will have on society. At present university students are predominantly middle-class, and the education cuts can only narrow further the type of student, and completely cut out those from working class backgrounds. The PSA believes that there should be equal opportunity for all people to attend university.
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"P.S.A. is an ordinary VUWSA club."
The PSA was set up last year, supposedly for some reason. What is the justification for the PSA 's existence?
The PSA was set up in response to increasing attacks on the democratic rights of New Zealanders, such as the SIS Act and the repressive Industrial Relations Act, and also in response to a growing trend within the university to cut out any form of discussion or student action on these issues. An example of why the PSA needs to exist is the recent attacks that have been made on the SRC, saying that it is not democratic. PSA believes that SRC is the most democratic way of deciding policy, and therefore will try to counter any attempts to abolish it.
You see one of PSA 's duties being to protect the Association?
We want VUWSA to be as democratic as possible, and if we see that democracy being threatened, we will do our utmost to protect it.
The two things that have, perhaps, polarised opinion about the PSA most are firstly its attitude towards the Association and how it should function, and secondly its attitude towards so-called irrelevent matters of national and international issues. Why is the PSA concerned about these matters?
We believe that students do not exist in a vacuum, [ unclear: anu] that national and international events do affect us as well as the rest of society. It is very important that these issues are discussed by students and that the Association take a stand on them.
To change the subject some what, the leaf-lets that were distributed before the SGM were were probably the most controversial leaf-lets I have seen in my time at university. What do you think they represent?
They represent a distortion of the facts. I see them as a reaction by a group of people who disagree with some of PSA's views and activities and wish to rub PSA's name in the mud. The way this was done was to appeal to people's anti-communist feelings.
Do you believe that the majority of students support VUWSA's policy on such things as abortion and international affairs?
I don't know. All that I can see of the decision making process is what goes on at SRC. Regardless of your subjective view-point, it is the policy of VUWSA that must be given support and credence. That is how democracy works.
What do you think the relationship between the PSA and the Stucients's Association is? Is the PSA trying to be an Association within the Association?
Our mam aim is to raise the people's consciousness about various issues, and to this end we will work both with, and where necessary independently of, the Association. Naturally we want the students association to have progressive policy; we are concerned about people's basic democratic freedoms. We will pressurise the Association at SRC to have such policy, and if it is not adopted, we will work so that most students are made aware of our viewpoint.
It has been claimed that VUWSA is now at a crossroads. Do you agree?
Yes I would. I see the current attempts to "reform" the Association merely as attempts to change the structure so that it can't work democratically. The proposed reforms will (because of their very nature) take the decision-making process away from the students.
Although a referenda system appears to be more democratic, it would effectively give more power to the Executive, because it is so cumbersome. It also takes away the opportunity to debate an issue, there by encouraging ill-informed decisions.
VUWSA is renowned for the democratic way it decides policy, and it is this which is threatened. We don't want to dominate the Students' Association, rather to ensure that all views can be represented and fully debated.