Instead, the motion, which met a majority defeat, quickly resolved itself into an even-tempered and well-ordered debate in which a packed body of students in the Little Theatre heard Mr Hampton and the president of the association. Mr David Wilson, as the chief protagonists.

Association members remained unenlightened after some of Mr Hampton's charges, but most of the issues were adequately answered by Mr Wilson.

Classifying his main grounds for dissatisfaction wth the present executive (published in the last special supplement of Salient) Mr Hampton, in a 45-minute hearing punctuated only sporadically by good-humoured interjections, maintained that the executive had not attempted to make student life at Victoria what it should be.

The executive started with a secretary resigning at the fourth meeting because of a duplicating machine issue, although he had been told it was because the secretary "wanted to get units."

"And in the last three meetings there have been flowing criticisms by members of each other. If they lack confidence in themselves how can we have confidence in them," he asked.

"I believe there is personal animosity between the president and his vice-president. They do not see eye to eye in many things. The vice-president is usually expected to back up his president.

"I also believe there is a complete lack of team spirit in the executive and find it goes over into the mismanagement angle."