NZUSA Saved

Collapse of NZUSA was narrowly averted at Easter Council. At the concluding plenary session, the Auckland delegation staged a walkout.

Contention centred around the acceptance of the incoming budget. A maximum of £3429 had been allocated to expenditure, or nearly £1,000 more than student levies would have produced.

Auckland adamantly refused to raise their student levies above 2/6 a head.

Said delegate Brian Woolf, Auckland's Treasurer: "We have to consider what NZUSA is actually doing for students. Can you prove to us that students receive £3,500 worth of benefits? Our moral obligations are to our own students, not to NZUSA."

The Auckland delegation bases its thoughts "not on the idealism of the future but on the 'benefits' of the past" he said.

All other delegations objected to Auckland's stand. The general feeling was that Auckland was prepared to sacrifice NZUSA if the budget would not cut to £2,346, because of internal priorities of the bookshop, building fund, and publications.

Canterbury stated that they were convinced that Auckland's moral obligation was to NZUSA, and that in spite of some constituents' willingness to make sacrifices, Auckland had done nothing whatsoever to meet constituents' concessions.

Asked Lincoln, "What is so peculiar about your students that they cannot afford an increased Students' Association fee? (Auckland fee is £5).

In an endeavour to reduce the budget to accord with Auckland's demands, Victoria offered to make office space and secretarial services available to NZUSA to save the organisation about £1,000 per annum. This was unacceptable to Auckland for as long as there was no mandate from Victoria students.

Tony Haas, Student Press Association President, said it was up to Auckland to put its own house in order. "They feel it easier to obstruct NZUSA than risk their executive lives by raising Students' Association fees."

The budget was passed in spite of Auckland's dissension. The delegation then walked out leaving behind an unconstitutional resignation from NZUSA.

In the period following there was talk of amending the constitution and abolishing NZUSA then constituting a similar body without Auckland. Legality of a quorum present was in dispute, and it became evident that Council was out of order.

Gordon Hewitt, president of New Zealand Universities' Sports Union called for a meeting of Presidents with the Auckland delegation "in the spirit of constructive reconciliation" as NZUSU was also in jeopardy.

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