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Salient. Official Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 42 No. 21. September 3 1979

Investigation is Essential

Investigation is Essential

The problem then arises: How can we establish the validity, if they have any, of these claims? It is all very well to go on and on in the abstract about this so-called democratic organ, the SRC, but what about the concrete situation? How does the "critical contemplation" upon the nature of SRC by such comrades compare with the events transpiring at these meetings? The only way to solve this problem is to investigate the actual situation.

Objectively SRC has no credibility with either it's supporters or opponents. The "supporters" of SRC never take anything to that body if it can be more conveniently dealt with elsewhere. It is of course the Executive which really runs the Association and takes all the important decisions which are not reserved by the Constitution to General Meetings. SRC is used to ratify decisions that the 'establishment' want ratified.

Nowhere was this more appaarent than in the recent debacle at SRC concerning the Massof presidency, when this was foisted on students. Not content with the defeat of their motion in the first five minutes the Executive and their supporters dragged out that SRC, on an already defeated motion, for 1½ hours and then bogged down next week's SRC with the same issue for at least an hour! No wonder there's little participation by students at SRC; most of those who do attend soon leave thanks to the filbustering tactics of a few.

Another recent issue, and one that very few students will even be aware of, is the case of the so-called "unauthorised people making statements to the media on [unclear: behalt] of the Students' Association" (see Executive minutes, 31 July, p. 4). This is surely a highly contentious issue, especially at the present time when the media image of students is particularly important, and one that should be Openly debated in the Association, presumably at an SRC. But oh no; it's dealt with by our non-political "administrative sub-committee", the Executive, in their characteristic star- chamber fashion.

Then there is the matter of the University Challenge television series. The question of whether or not to boycott University Challenge because of the current state of education in New Zealand and an issue vigorously debated recently at 2 other universities, Auckland and Canterbury. We didn't hear about this at SRC either Our Executive conveniently filed that one away in their administrative cabinet.

Comrades Sacksen and Co. would be well advised to investigate before they speak. For as the Great Helmsman put it: "How can a Communist keep his eyes shut and talk nonsense?"

Photo of children sitting on the floor