The Education Fightback Coordinator Replies.

Many of the points raised by Alf Harris require answers. As this is the last issue for a little while the editor has allowed me to give those answers here, instead of waiting for a new term. It would be worthwhile I think, if other people gave their opinions in subsequent Salients.

Firstly, a few things need to be realised about our Minister, Merv Wellington. Unlike his predecessor, he has shown no signs of representing education in Cabinet or anywhere else. Nor has he even displayed much understanding of the issues involved. This has been demonstrated time and again by his press statements, radio interviews, meetings with education group representatives, letters etc. Many examples have been related in these pages. Merv is a hatchetman.

If we, as students on campus, had any reason to believe that the Minister was prepared to sit down with us for "constructive dialogue", we would be in like a shot. But Merv refused to come on campus before the Education Fightback campaign got off the ground. Furthermore, it is with the NZUSA National Officers, not with Vic students, that the Minister will conduct any talks. Those officers have met him more than once during the campaign, and each time have had Merv distort the nature and result of the meeting. He even made one meeting up!

Presumably, Alf has not forgotten that Merv's Government introduced the TSG behind the students' backs, by allowing us to think we were engaged in "constructive dialogue" and thus lulling, to an extent, our campaign spirit. Alf claims that there has been a "polarisation of the issues to such a degree that it can only count against responsible student representation at government level in the future."

In fact, all the evidence points the other way: the more annoyed, the more prepared to take action a group can show itself to be, the more the Government has to listen. We aren't the best pressure group in the country but we're improving all the time. Students vote too.