Democracy and Women's Commission

David Murray felt that other campuses were undemocratic and that women on women's commission were making policy out of their own heads and not from what their students wanted. (This seemed like a bit of a red herring when the same situation occurred on every other commission).

John Ryall felt that the women's commission was tackling the problem the wrong way around because the reason for inadequate Women's policy did not lie in NZUSA, but in a lack of any policy on the constituent campuses. However, Neil Gray (again!) thought that a Women's Commission was necessary until such time as there was action at campus level.

Lynne McGimpsey said that the arguments against women's commission were arguments against all the commissions.

Angela Belich was the next person to take to the pedestal saying that if women's policy was not seen as important in NZUSA then the thing to do was to see it as more important on campus, and not just through another bureaucratic structure.

Peter Aagaard thought that the commission hadn't been given enough time to prove itself, and that it should be reasses after two or three councils.

Leonie Morris thought that all it had been doing was "chucking out old policy, and making new ones".

John Bowden (the objective SGM reporter - ED) was next to step forward saying that Women's Commission had been serving a useful function in clarifying policy which had been earlier spread out over three or four commissions in a piecemeal fashion.

Gillian Goodger was the last speaker, taking issue with Leonie Morris's argument saying that what, in effect, happened on every commission was old policy being thrown out, and new policy being made.

It was finally narrowly decided to go ahead with the commission, and at about 1.55pm when Boh Drumond still hadn't said anything all the neeting ended. (Bob reckons the only good SRC reports are ones which mention his name, so I thought I'd better put it in.) I refuse to mention Derek Fikkers now that the smoking ban has been implemented.