Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume. 33, Number 10. 8 July, 1970

Lincoln: Still with us

Lincoln: Still with us

Lincoln College's former Vice-President, Roger Payne, failed to persuade Lincoln students to withdraw from NZUSA at a special General Meeting on 19 June.

Mr Payne, a long standing critic of NZUSA's involvement in international affairs, was joined by the College President, John Hayes, in his attempt to show that the costs of NZUSA were too high to justify Lincoln College's continued participation.

Arguing that the services provided by NZUSA were either unnecessary or could be equally easily provided by the local Association, Mr Payne faced a noisy and often hostile audience. During the hour and a half long meetings, many Lincoln students spoke against withdrawal from NZUSA—defending the Association's work in student travel, insurance, publications and national affairs.

Guest speaker, Lindsay Wright, NZUSA's Education Research Officer, outlined the history of the Association and its current activities. "There is no doubt," he said, "that if Lincoln students want any representation at national level on the question of student bursaries they will have to stay with NZUSA".

"If the objections to NZUSA are only the crude and mercenary ones of its cost, then in terms of its value in bursary negotiations alone, NZUSA has proved itself capable of putting back into student pockets many times more than it is ever likely to take," Mr Wright said.

On the question of the influence of Lincoln students on NZUSA policies, the Canterbury Publications Officer, David Caygill, argued that Lincoln representatives had provided a welcome levelling influence.

"They represent," Mr Caygill said, "the 40% of New Zealand students who disagree with NZUSA policies."

John Hayes had earlier circulated a broadsheet expressing his views on the motion to withdraw from NZUSA. "Lincoln," said Mr Hayes, "has little future within NZUSA and would achieve more outside the organisation." Mr Hayes said that NZUSA "does not represent the majority viewpoint of all New Zealand students."

Mr Hayes also said that NZUSA "will not become effective in representation until it has majority student support and it is respected by the community where it has to work. The good points of NZUSA policy are detracted from by the bad. e.g. efforts in the field of education are hampered by calling to legalise marijuana without adequate evidence that the drug would be of benefit to society." Mr Hayes summarised the benefits of membership of NZUSA as Focus and cut-rate life insurance and overseas travel. He said that he believed alternative insurance and travel schemes could be arranged and "if we want Focus then we can buy it."

In his closing remarks, Mr Hayes said "Lincoln should continue to give the lead to other universities. To be most effective I feel we must divorce ourselves from petty arguments which occur at NZUSA. We realise that NZUSA is largely ineffective. Let us stand strong and achieve the things that Lincoln students want to and can achieve."

Mr Payne's motion was defeated on the vote of a substantial majority of the Lincoln students at the SGM.