The second Council of NZUSA for 1979 was held at Auckland Univeristy during the August vacation. If May Council this year was the "Time for Action" Council, August Council could probably be described as the "Navel Gazing" Council. Four days of, generally, directionless debate that made no real effort to move forward to meet the threats that 1980 will undoubtedly hold for university students and education generally.

For the first time in five Councils NZUSA has not had a withdrawal threat looming over its head and seemed to react to this welcome relief by earnestly look inwards, examining its internal workings, the comprehensive nature of its policy rather than seeking to move forward to bring that policy to the members. There was a great fight to ensure that there was sufficient money for NZUSA to wage campaigns in the forthcoming year, but no real campaigns were planned, particularly regrettable as NZUSA has just come out of the most successful campaign in its history.

Council did, of course, have its interesting moments, none more so than the elections for the 1980 National Officers. Although all positions were contested by only one candidate, only the office of President was filled, by our own Simon Wilson, who countered the considerable opposition to his candidature at the beginning of Council, and was eventually elected by 37 votes to 5 no confidence, and by Denese Black who was elected WRAC Co-ordinator for 1980. The positions of Education and Welfare Vice-President and General Vice-President remained unfilled at the end of Council. Any candidates interested in these positions should contact Chris Gosling at NZUSA (ph 856-669) within the next three weeks.

In the following pages and in subsequent issues, Salient will be reporting on some of the events at Council—what happened, but more importantly, why it happened. It will not be comprehensive (one can't compress 4 18 hour days into a few articles in Salient) but it is hoped that it will give readers some insight into the workings of their national association.

page 8

One of the importat tasks to be done at each August Council of NZUSA is to set the budget for the following year. This is generally done late at night in smokey rooms by bleary eyed individuals. But enough of self-pity, the more important question is; just what does NZUSA spend all its money on?