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Salient. Official Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 44 No. 2. March 9 1981

'51 Here we come!

'51 Here we come!

Dear Sir,

In a society without a constitution the law of precedence is of primary importance. Though the industrial issues will no doubt be arguable the main emotional and political issue has once more cent-red around Lawn Order.

The Government has claimed it cannot 'Drop the Charges' as this would constitute a threat to our legal system. During the Bastion Point issue however the Government dropped 150 charges of tress-pass because of the embarrassment and the cost. These were the reasons given in both the popular press and the Law Journal.

The tress-pass at Bastion Point and at Manger were identical situations in technical legal terms. In both cases it was Crown Land in both cases the police pressed charges - in both cases the defendants deliberately put themselves in a position whereby they would be arrested - in both it was claimed that public safety was endangered. In both cases only intervention by the Attorney General could lead to the charges being dropped. This only occurred at Bastion Point and so the question must be raised - if trespass charges can be dropped against Maori activists why can't charges be dropped against Trade Union activists.

The second main issue of Lawn Order is that some unionists refused to sign bail bonds. At Waitangi six Maori activists were arrested for rioting which is a far bigger charge than mere trespass. The Maori activists refused to stand in the dock or answer the charges or sign bail bonds yet the whole six were expelled from jail. If six Maori activists can be expelled without signing bail bonds surely six Trade Union activists can be expelled for not signing bail bonds. A legal precedent has been clearly established in both cases.

1981 is of course election year and with Social Credit making giant inroads into rural electorates the National Party is certain to loose the next elections. In numerical terms they lost the last elections - only shrewd boundary changes kept them in office. Their only hope of survival is to precipitate a national strike. I think the Trade Union movement should avoid a direct conflict over Lawn Order - you only fight battles you can win and with granny trapped at the airport the unionists are doomed to fail. I think they should call for a national work to rule. Trade Unions should say "If you want law we'll give you law and apply every industrial law, traffic law, safety law, health law and by law in the book." If the law is applied rigidly any society would grind to a halt within a month. Laws should serve a society - not rule it. Remember Bullshit and Jellybeans! See you inside

Tim Shadbolt

Enrolment.