No action on 'bomb'

By Tony Jaques, NZSPA

Canterbury Vice-President Ray Caird arrived at the recent Student Leader Seminar with five pages of proposals designed to "Put a bomb under NZUSA".

Mr Caird stressed the report was not a blueprint for reform. But also pointed out that if reforms were not forthcoming, Canterbury would seriously consider withdrawing from NZUSA.

"This is not just a threat," he said. "There is a very strong body of opinion to that effect in the Canterbury Executive."

"The problem is three-fold," Mr Caird said. "One, inadequate preparation of delegates; two, inadequate liaison betwen delegates; and three, inadequate definition of NZUSA's role."

Suggesting a solution to the problem of inadequate liaison, he said: "A residential Council away from Tournament is essential.

"There will be a Residential Council in Christchurch at Easter next year. Sufficient leisure time to discuss and lobby is vital.

"The distributing around the city is either billets or paid accommodation of Council delegates like Brown's cows is definitely not conducive to the informal liaison necessary for making the best of NZUSA's formal sessions.

"Much of the wrangling and ignorance exhibited around the table at NZUSA can be overcome by all the delgates being under one roof, provided there is sufficient time for informal contact."

Canterbury is working on a report which will describe the pros and cons and details of their Residential Council next Easter.

Mr "Caird suggested that non-actionable remits had no place in NZUSA.

"There will have to be a positive and fierce pruning process if NZUSA is ever to get itself into perspective.

"All petty or hopeless remits of constituents cannot be considered. Only when we have decided upon some process of what and why remits are petty or non-actionable are we going to get anywhere.

"The possibility of a Steering Committee which could decide priorities in terms of action ought to be investigated."

On chairmanship, Mr Caird suggested: "There could well be some form of instruction on chairmanship, provided by NZUSA, both for its own benefit, and the benefit of constituents.

"The Chair must sit on delegates who merely paraphrase that already stated by a previous delegate."