General Impressions

Leap year is the year for marriages, so they say. That really has little to do with it, but the most important decision reached at NZUSA May Council (at Auckland 13-16 May) was the setting up of a National Union of Students, combining NZUSA, the student teachers association (STANZ) and tech students (NZTISA).

However, instead of a merger (which was suggested in previous years and resulted in much fruitless debate), May Council decided on a shotgun affair. The proposal is for NZUSA to change its name to National Union of Students, and open it books to any other students association who may wish to join.

But that's jumping the gun a little (not to make any reference to raft races). NZU SA holds two Councils each year (May and August) at which all constituents send delegates to debate policy, compare notes and decide on action. Victoria sent seven delegates:

From the start, there was a strong feeling this was the best Council in a long time. National Officers (especially the President, John Blincoe and International VP Don Carson) were criticised severely over their reports to the Council. This showed clearly the willingness of constituents to question what NZUSA is doing, and of NZUSA to accept such criticism.

The constructive debate continued (well, not all the time) into the Commissions (which study special areas of concern) Especially impressive were the reports of the student directors on the Board of Student Travel Bureau Ltd, arguing the need for real student knowledge of what was going on.

Thus far, it sounds like an administrative jungle. What can NZUSA do for students? What policies is it actioning? Those are the most important questions (and it was good to see the widespread recognition of the divergence of administrative and political functions of student Delations)

The questions are discussed in the reports from each delegate. Two issues not discussed there, which have the most effect on students (with the Women's Rights and Education recommendations) concerned Arts Council, and the setting up of the NHS.

Students Arts Council, which is technically a subcommittee of NZUSA but has reps from most teachers colleges as well, is facing problems. From the massive losses it had two years ago (some $18,000 in total) it has concentrated on profitable (hopefully!) tours, and tended to ignore the other side of its work, namely to build up "culture" and interest in the arts on campuses. Alas, many small campuses felt they were missing out on Arts Council activities.

The proposed solution to this state of affairs is a full-time paid Chairman of the Arts Council. This office would give more encouragement to local groups and setting up regional cooperation. The proposal was defeated at a meeting of Arts Council one week before NZUSA Council, but there was general agreement at Auckland that the position should go ahead.

The issue is being discussed at the next SRC (this Wednesday).

The other major issue was the National Union of Students. This, surprisingly, had very little discussion, most people recognising the need both for it and for real political discussion as to its nature and I establishment. There are worries in the way it was proposed (no students teachers or tech institute reps were present to discuss it), and Victoria (as bound by policy) opposed the idea. That too is coming back for more discussion. From these points, and those raised by the other delegates, I feel this was a most constructive and valuable Council. Action priorities have been set, and questions such as bursaries, assessment, nuclear power, women's rights, welfare services, East Timor and Aboriginal rights will soon be debated on this campus. On the structural side, watch out for discussion on: raising the fee (presently $1.20 per student) to $2.00; a second Research officer, concentrating on Welfare and Accommodation; and the dreaded National Union of Students.

Overall, I think the Victoria delegation performed very well, cooperating and discussing issues as they arose. We have a reputation as one of the more democratic delegations, and more democratic in the way we action studass policy. Both of those reputations were, I think, enhanced by this Council.

May Council 1976 was, then, a most important Council, both in the way it operated and the strong guidelines it gave for action. As a national organisation though, NZUSA (and even more importantly for NUS) can only succeed through and with the support of the mass of its members. There were encouraging signs that this necessity is realised and student leaders are prepared to work on it.

NZUSA is our union. Its one of the most democratic and effective unions around (Muldoon in 1971 called it the second most effective pressure group in the country). With our interest and support we can surely make it even more democratic and effective. If you want to get involved, or to get something done, see Gyles or myself at the Studass office.

Anthony Ward,