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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 36, Number 7. 11th April 1973

Toe The Line — or Get Out

Toe The Line — or Get Out

Sir,

On the day of the AGM of the Students Association I was approached by a member of the Women's Abortion Action Committee with a request that I sign a form sponsoring the April 13th march for the repeal of abortion laws. It was emphasised that as wide a list of sponsors as possible was being sought and that I would be signing strictly as an individual not as an executive member. I signed as I am in favour of changing the laws and consider the march would not be counter-productive.

That evening I spoke at the AGM against the Association giving $50 to the Women's Abortion Action Committee for the purposes of this march. My feeling was that if money was to be donated to a cause then it should be spent efficiently in attempting to obtain the stated aims. Last year's march was not efficient, it cost $15 to put each marcher on the road. There is no reason to believe that this year's march will make any better economic sense. I also suggested that other means of action to repeal the laws be taken.

The following day I was again approached by this same individual who wanted to return my endorsement form on the grounds that I was "unaware of what sponsorship means" and that she didn't want "half-hearted support". I assume this was a reaction against my stated views though the Women's Abortion Action Committee was well aware that I believed their march inefficient before they asked me to sign their form.

I wonder first of all how and who makes a decision to weed out undesirable sponsors once their names have finished being used as bargaining points at Student's Association meetings and secondly whether a similar exclusion policy will exist during the march itself,

Don Carson.

Drawing of a cat