Sgm Report

Probably, the most notable thing of all about this SGM was the lack of attendance. At a meeting where a fee increase is being discussed I would have expected a few more than the hundred or so hard core students to turn up.

It seems that extensive advertising in the last issue of Salient had little or no effect on the attendance. Anyway, gripes aside, it was a reasonably boring SGM, especially after Mark Sainsbury and Simon Treacy withdrew their motion for the erection of a fifty thousand dollar "Smokers Paradise" on campus.

Ubiquitous Ward Declared Missing

The first motion to come up was a Ward/Beckford concoction. I was very upset not to see you there Tony — I can't call you ubiquitous.

This was a very carefully drawn up motion, which had been checked over thoroughly by the Association Solicitors to ensure there was no loop-holes, dealing with executive elections, and the provision of a no-confidence clause.

Gyles Beckford explained briefly that under the present regulations a vote of no confidence was only possible when there was only one candidate standing for a position. Under the new regulations it would be possible to have a no confidence vote, whereby no candidate would be elected if the total number of no confidence votes exceeded the number of votes any one candidate obtained.

This wasn't just some waffly clause which would never be used anyway, as could be seen by the recent Auckland presidential election where five candidates stood, and none were elected. The motion was passed unanimously, with no discussion.

The next motion gave executive the power to allocate funds for the costs of an election as it saw fit, because of the inadequacy of the present budget of $150. This was passed with little discussion again, and only one dissent from an unnamed shitstirrer at the back of the room.

Chairman Something of the Past

Chairpeople were back in the news again with an Aagaard motion to change any reference of chairman in the constitution to chairperson. This motion also went through with hardly a whimper.

Next was a fairly long discussion on what was going to happen about the cafe losses. Steve Underwood moved a motion that the fees be increased by two dollars, which would be used to pay off the accumulated deficit of $47,000 over a four year period.

After some questioning which established what alternatives were available (i.e. the milking off of money from the 2nd Building fund which was to have been used to pay for a lift), Neil Gray stood up and made yet another speech (I don't think I've yet seen a motion go through after discussion if Neil Gray hasn't been involved).

He didn't think that future students should be made to pay for past students debt, which was a bit of a red herring, because they would have to whether they liked it or not.

This impassioned plea was followed by questioning over the value of having a lift, and safeguards against future losses?

Steve Underwood said that one positive step would be the proposal to employ an accountantant next year. He was then questioned about the dubious nature of accountants and replied that it wasn't "to fiddle the books", although he did notice some dissent from the audience.

Kevin Swann was opposed to milking off of other funds which had been set aside for specific purposes to finance cafe losses. Peter Aagaard thought that Studass fees were high enough already.

Lloyd Jobson then took the stand to a rousing cheer from the masses, and said that he had one "very simple point" (nobody believed him of course), "and that was if Fritz (1972 Catering Manager) could make a profit why couldn't anyone else?

Gyles Beckford was opposed to the principle of subsidising the cafe, as this hadn't been done in the past, although he didn't think that taking money from the second building fund was subsidising the cafe.

Steve Underwood then took up his right of reply, saying that there was a need for flexibility with the second building fund, and that it shouldn't be disturbed.

The motion was then put and lost, with a for-shadowed motion to take the money from the Building fund passed - the proverbial robbing of Peter to pay Paul.

Industrial Relations Campaign Discussed

Proceeding from another fine dissection of the catering situation it was on the the allocation of $100 for an Industrial Relations Campaign. David Murray stated that as an earlier SRC had supported the struggle against proposed Industrial Legislation money was needed to fund this campaign. Lloyd Jobson wanted to know how the money was to be used, and Gyles Beckford and David Tripe explained that it could be used most effectively in producing leaflets and other publicity material.

It was then Neil Gray's turn to point out that August Council had decided to make Industrial Relations number one priority, but that it had only allocated $200 of funds for this purpose, and that more money was needed from constituents. The motion was carried.

Anne Dwyer moved a motion to increase Arts Council subscription from 35c to 50c to allow for inflation, and a cut in the Government grant to QEII Arts Council. As the money was to come from the Studass General Account, and did not call for "an increase in fees, it was easily passed.

We were then onto possibly the most contentious issue of the day (i.e. Women's Commission at August Council).

Gyles explained the background to the debate, and left it up to the speakers. Sue Jarvis was the first and she said that the majority of delegates on Women's Commission were in favour of its contiuation, including one delegate from Canterbury who had earlier moved a motion at an SGM there opposing the commission. Ms Jarvis thought that without a Women's Commission women's issues would not obtain the priority which they deserve.

Shall we tell them?

Underwood Enterprises has just bought out Catering. Prices will he going up 50% tomorrow.

Lindy Cassidy said that NZUSA's structure [unclear: was s] adequate to action policy on women's issues and that the Women's Rights Action Committee being set up would be a positive step in this direction.

Democracy and Women's Commission

David Murray felt that other campuses were undemocratic and that women on women's commission were making policy out of their own heads and not from what their students wanted. (This seemed like a bit of a red herring when the same situation occurred on every other commission).

John Ryall felt that the women's commission was tackling the problem the wrong way around because the reason for inadequate Women's policy did not lie in NZUSA, but in a lack of any policy on the constituent campuses. However, Neil Gray (again!) thought that a Women's Commission was necessary until such time as there was action at campus level.

Lynne McGimpsey said that the arguments against women's commission were arguments against all the commissions.

Angela Belich was the next person to take to the pedestal saying that if women's policy was not seen as important in NZUSA then the thing to do was to see it as more important on campus, and not just through another bureaucratic structure.

Go now my son and sin no more, Peter Aagaard.

Peter Aagaard thought that the commission hadn't been given enough time to prove itself, and that it should be reasses after two or three councils.

Leonie Morris thought that all it had been doing was "chucking out old policy, and making new ones".

John Bowden (the objective SGM reporter - ED) was next to step forward saying that Women's Commission had been serving a useful function in clarifying policy which had been earlier spread out over three or four commissions in a piecemeal fashion.

Gillian Goodger was the last speaker, taking issue with Leonie Morris's argument saying that what, in effect, happened on every commission was old policy being thrown out, and new policy being made.

It was finally narrowly decided to go ahead with the commission, and at about 1.55pm when Boh Drumond still hadn't said anything all the neeting ended. (Bob reckons the only good SRC reports are ones which mention his name, so I thought I'd better put it in.) I refuse to mention Derek Fikkers now that the smoking ban has been implemented.

Making the return trip; NZUSA 's David Tripe