Frenchies were in the news again this week. Not French bomb tests this time but French letters as SRC battled over the future of the condom machine in the union foyer. The struggle for internal security began over a motion moved Caudal Halibur "that the contraceptive vending machine to removed to promote moral standards among varsity students". As the balloon went up on the debate "Caudall" made an opening thrust by declaring his unrequited interest in the moral standards of students and declared that "if God he wanted us to use condoms we would have been born with them He then got to the real guts of the issue by declaring that "the only reason women get pregnant is as a punishment for their lustful ways".

Caudall was followed by Halibur, complete with spunk-proof glasses, who got rather overwhelmed with the weight of things and ended up declaring that "the motion speaks for itself as he shuffled off hand in pocket. This particular piece of impotency was rapidly followed by Paul Norman who gave a stunning display of auto-fellatio demonstrating once again that such activities can lead to neck trouble.

Skirting deftly round the issue as to whether condoms can prevent Thrush our self-same Sports Officer mentioned that condoms could be a real money-spinner and suggested that the Association could extend its activities in the direction of an auto-ejaculation machine. However it was felt that such an enterprise would be dogged with dysfunction and could only come to a sticky end. Feeling that the debate was getting a bit slack at this stage. Gerard Winter attempted to inject some humour by relating an Irish joke which fell rather short of the mark. As the saying goes, stiff shit Gerard.

The motion was eventually lost but is bound to raise its ugly head again. Many times in the past students have attempted to raise interest on this particular issue but nothing ever comes of it. Hopefully this particular episode will bear fruit and the issue will not be so prominent in the future.

The meeting actually began with reports. Lindy Cassidy reported that there had been a fair amount of useful discussion at NZUSA's August Council on the role of the organisation and the fact that it seemed isolated from the students it represented. Not much has come out of the discussion as yet but it was a step in the right direction. Other reports from August Council mentioned that ISIC cards are going up from $2 to $3, that the LATA issue had been discussed and the buying of the agency upheld and that the Overseas students issue is still the main priority for International Affairs.

Then the yoghurt really hit the fan as Peter Winter gave his Council report. His principle complaint was that when he had presented the Association's policy on Law prerequisites to Council the Salient Editor, David Murray, who was present at the meeting, had heckled him and claimed that he did not represent students. As a consequence Peter was forced to backtrack on his policy and the credibility of the Association's case was affected. A discussion on the correctness of the current policy ensued which finally ended with David Murray moving that the policy in question be reconsidered at the next SRC. There the matter rested and the meeting continued (without an apology from David).

Food seen in the Cafe

Second motion on the agenda after the condom motion proposed that "there never be food served in the cafe ". Neatly demonstrating the principle that "you are what you eat", Paul Norman outlined the possible effects to his system if food, rather than offal and spam, were to be served m the cafe. The issue is not as academic as some of you may think as lately there have been many isolated reports of food being seen in the cafe. No doubt these reports belong to the same category as sighting of tigers in Christchurch. The motion was lost which leaves us with our previous policy (which was effectively that there never be food served in the cafe).

Middle-East bunfight

Finally we came to the piece that everyone had been waiting for and friend and foe alike sharpened their sickles and closed in for the kosher kill as Beckford/Robinson moved that "VUWSA recognises that the Israeli Government and Arab Governments deny the rights of the Palestinian people and believes that a free, democratic and secular Palestinian state should be created". Gyles Beckford said that our present policy had been confused since 1974 and that it was time we had a logical policy which should be firmly on the side of the oppressed Palestinians who had been driven from their land and denied political rights. He thought it was absurd that he, as a New Zealand Jew, was entitled to migrate to Israel and be granted automatic citizenship whereas many Palestinians who were born in the area a did not have this right, However, he stressed criticism of the Israeli Government and not of the Jewish people, and that it was important that we be anti-Zionist but not anti-semitic.

Bruce Robinson outlined some of the ways in which Palestinians living in Israel are discriminated against as well as the fact that Palestinians living in nearby Arab countries are also treated badly. The only solution for the Palestinians was the establishment of a free, democratic, secular state such as proposed in the motion.

Much of the ensuing discussion on the motion centred round the definition of a "free democratic and secular Palestinian state" It transpired that there were nearly as many people being particularly confused as to the boundary of the proposed state. The movers of the motion eventually attached a note to the motion explaining that the state in question would be in the area of the 1919 mandate for Palestine. Several speakers then opposed the motion and favoured the creation of a Palestinian state to exist alongside the slate of Israel However the motion remained as it was and was eventually passed 48 to 44.

In the dying minutes of the meeting it was decided "that VUWSA support and provides the publicity for the demonstration and rally at Parliament on September 19 against the findings of the Royal Commission and the general attacks on women made by this government"

—David Hedge.

Summary of Motions Passed

"That VUWSA recognises that the Israeli Government and Arab Governments deny the rights of the Palestinian people and believes that a free, democratic and secular Palestinian state should be created. (Get details of note from office)".

"That VUWSA support and provides the publicity for the demonstration and rally at Parliament on September 19 against the findings of the Royal Commission and the general attacks on women made by this government".