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Lincoln Ex-President under Fire from Caclin —

Payne, panned

An SGM at Lincoln College to discuss a motion to the effect that Lincoln withdraw from NZUSA has been postponed until Lincoln President John Hayes returns from the 26 April National Executive meeting.

Mr Hayes had earlier announced his intention to move, at an SGM to be called on his return from Easter Council, that "Lincoln do withdraw from NZUSA".

Paul Grocott, NZUSA President, said that Mr Hayes had told him that the motion would be proposed in order to stimulate discussion of Lincoln's relationship to NZUSA and of the future role of the national union. Mr Grocott said that the Lincoln Executive has decided since Easter Council that an SGM should not be held until the NZUSA National Executive has met on 26 April and discussed the role of the Association. Mr Grocott says that it seems unlikely that a meeting at Lincoln along the lines suggested by Mr Hayes will be held before the end of this term.

1969 NZUSA International Vice President Trevor Richards said, when asked for comment on the postponement of the Lincoln SGM, that it was his opinion that "John Hayes shot his mouth off at Easter Council"

"For three Council meetings," said Mr Richards, "one gained the impression from Lincoln delegations that theirs was the most democratic student union in the nation. Recent events, however, would tend to reveal that as nothing more than a myth perpetrated by the Machiavelli of student politics, Roger Payne."

Mr Richards said that it appeared that John Hayes had postponed the SGM because he felt that he could not carry students with him on the motion to dissociate from NZUSA.

At Lincoln itself, student editor Steve Blakemore has been strongly critical in the latest issue of Caclin of some of the actions of John Hayes and Mr Hayes' predecessor as President, Mr Roger Payne. In an "Open Letter to Roger Payne', Mr Blakemore has the following to say:

Just what are your motives, Mr Payne? Following your recent actions one can only conjecture that they are to impose your views on Lincoln students at any cost and by any means, fair or foul.

By completely ignoring the LCSA Constitution and chairing your to-called 'continued A.G.M.' in a biased and bigoted manner, you have not only brought scorn and ridicule on Lincoln as a whole at Easter Council, but have placed the new President in a position where he is receiving the brunt of the blame for what were partly your actions.

We realise that you vowed and declared that Lincoln would remain dissociated from International Commission this year, but perhaps if the meeting you held was a representative one with senior students present and all students being allowed a fair say, such a motion would not have been passed.

Having heard you say many times that members of NZUSA are nothing but a pack of long haired pricks" gives you no justification to indoctrinate our new Exec, members on what to expect and how to act at Easter Council. To tell our new delegates to wear a suit at all times and to never discuss anything with other varsity delegates out of commission is a blatant example of your extreme right wing. Rotarian principles, whilst the instruction "if they question the AGM, just say it was shit-hot" is direct evidence that you yourself know and recognise that your actions have been undemocratic and unconstitutional.

We have a new Executive and President with a difficult job to do. Already you have increased the difficulty of their task by your Influence and actions. You are only a student now so how about letting them get on with the job and in that regard the sooner you depart for America the better.