Navel Gazing

The last comment characterised the introspective nature of the commission. Few of the delegates on the commission had actually been involved in international activities on a regular basis and some not at all. There were delegates that had been plucked from catering committees and the like who came along to confuse proceedings. Constituent Presidents would drop in, give a tirade on the role of international work and then take off again. As a result, the commission found itself working on an unreal level. Were they supposed to represent their own students on a constituent basis, or was Council just a meaningless four day jaunt?

Most delegates were not briefed on the issues they were discussing as well as they should have been. Discussion on some items resembled a wallowing in ignorance rather than informed debate. This makes the introduction of the new provision for policy to have at least half of the total votes cast rather farcical as far as international goes Victoria, for example comes to Council with a great deal of international policy - much of which has been debated in detail at SRC. Because other campuses do not see the need for such policy, Victoria has no hope of getting NZUSA to adopt it. Even if three campuses thought it was extremely important and the rest abstained it still would not get on the books!