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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Vol 35 no. 18. 27th July 1972

NZUSA Liaison Officer

NZUSA Liaison Officer

Peter Rendall

Peter Rendall

I am standing for the position of N.Z.U.S.A. [unclear: Leason] Officer because I feel that I could do the job.

I am a 3rd year arts student, with a major subject varying from year to year, since I seem to crap out in my chosen major each year.

My previous experience in student affairs has been largely non-political I am at present V.U.W.S.A. Welfare Officer, and am involved in the organization and running of the Food Co-op.

I attended N.Z.U.S.A's May Council as Victoria's Welfare Rep, and thus have some experience of the back stabbing and power politics that occurs on such occasions.

I believe that the Proposed National Union of Students has some advantages over the present organization, but that it will require a large amount of work to make it feasible and acceptable to the majority of students.

I will, if elected, continue to assist on Contact and in the Food Co-op., and try to make them viable centres for the development of Community on Campus. The Student Travel Bureau I would try to see extended, so that the best service possible is available to students. This could entail the employment of a full time travel officer.

I believe that 1973 is going to be an extremely interesting year—the proposed tour by the Springboks requires a strong executive to co-ordinate activities against this side, so I wholeheartedly support HART and CARE in their Activities.

Rod Woodward

Rod Woodward

Most students are antiwar and antiapartheid; few people dispute that anymore. Yet only a small minority of students would claim to be committed radicals. Yet NZUSA has adopted policies which only this radical minority could support.

A strong, united national student organisation is potentiallya very powerful pressure group and defender of student interests. It is important if such a body is to be effective, however, for its elected leaders to be sensitive to student interests and student opinion. This unfortunately has not really been the case with the current NZUSA leadership, which has adopted policies quite out of touch with student sentiment.

First of all, NZUSA is the main force behind HART, the anti-apartheid group committed to halting South African sports tours by physical disruption, against the will of the majority of New Zealanders, if necessary.

Secondly, at a recent council, the NZUSA leaders adopted a policy of "Victory for the NLF" for NZ students by a vote of three universities for, one against, and three abstentions. In fact they refused to support the July 14 mobilisation, except around the slogan of "Victory to the NLF"."Nobody can say that there was overwhelming support for 'Victory to the NLF' " said NZUSA President, Dave Cuthbert, in the June 23 Canta. In fact Canterbury students have already rejected this policy at an SGM.

As the Young Socialist candidate for Liason Officer, I am completely opposed to elitist, disruptive politics. I shall campaign for NAUSAtoadopt policies and strategies for issues such as apartheid, the war and abortion, that does not alienate students and the general public, but can involve them all in the movements for social change.