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Salient. Official Newspaper of Victoria University of Wellington Students Association. Vol 40 No. 14. June 13 1977

Abortion debate to go on, Surrey planned

Abortion debate to go on, Surrey planned

This SRC, the debate on abortion was based on two motions:

Moved: Winter/Gibbs

"That this meeting direct the Association to donate $1 5.00 to both the Anti-Abortion lobby and the Pro-Abortion lobby for the purposes of their respective campaigns before the coming SGM".

6. Moved Gibbs/Winter

"That this Association conduct a comprehensive survey of student opinion at VUW on the controversial issue of abortion, A questionnaire for such a survey to be;
1) Drawn up by a balanced committee of four persons to be elected at the next SRC.
2) Submitted to the following SRC for approval
3) Put to students as they vote in the forthcoming by election.

Resulting the survey to be analysed by the said committee and a report published.

Gerard Winter spoke to his motion expressing the view that last week's motions concerning abortion had been undemocratic, with non members of the Association voting and people voting who had not been present at the debate. Instead he wanted to bring the issue move into the open wanting (idealistically, perhaps) involvement and even anger, on a widespread basis.

Numerous people, including some of hitherto-above-said, above mentioned, previously named then spole to the motion. The illustrous SRC co-ordinator (who also happens to be an Irish Intellectual, which is saying a contradiction in terms) said that it was his job to publicise SRC's and he wrote and distributed leaflets, placed ads in our most revered journal of doctrine (Salient) and if that wasn't enough to bring the Average Student along, then tough. What move could be done?

Bruce Robinson, wand in hand, uttering prophecies of doom and darkness, quoting such obscure (and dead) examples as FBL, also spoke to the motion, but just what he actually wanted to say will forever remain a mystere, although a few tuned-in souls managed to catch the words "motion wring - don't vote for it".

Then came a really horrific, violent and wonderfully fulfilling scene. Just what we'd been waiting for — some name-calling. (Pause for cheers). Gerard Winter (caller) called Andy Moore-Jones (called) a (wait for it) "Subjective Democrat"! Amazing, eh?

No? Oh well anyway, the motion was put, and then it was close and the doors were locked ant there was a division and all that, but we weren't much good at maths and the jolly thing was passed. The second motion was too, incidentally but I don't know much about the discussion, 'cept Neil Pearse reckoned that surveys weren't to hot at gaining a representative opinion, and wizard Bruce said it was all a waste of time, and Peter Gibbs grumbled how he'd been verbally constipated as a kid, but he sure as hell was making up for it now. He wouldn't down-trousers either when asked by Gyles Beckford which just shows what Gyles is and what Gibbs is not. So in the end, motion 6 was passed too.