Advocate or organiser?

Nevertheless, the main point of all this is that an officer of the association has conducted his work in such a way as to lose touch with what students are feeling. It is the Department of Education which is forcing these intolerable conditions onto students and compromising them further with scurrilous documents like this one. It seems strange that Mike Shaskey would want to accept a job there.

Students don't just expect their elected representatives to do a 'job'. They want them to push the policy of the association and, in doing so, involve students in their own struggle. This is the only way that the student movement will be built up and mobilised—and that, after all, is the job of NZUSA.

National Executive must take a long hard look at the bad effects of bureaucratism with in themselves and within the National Office which they elect.

True, students need leadership from the top. But what use is this leadership if the members are not right behind? How are the leaders able to keep in touch if they are not on the campuses organising with the local officials.

It is hoped that next year's National Office will take heed of these past events and guard against the dangers present. We sperately need a strong National Union How more than ever. If we have to be ruthless to our elected officials to get one then it must be done.

It's lonely at the top—but there's a way to fix that.

—David Murray.