Fairness

"The time accorded to speakers from minority groups seemed to us very generous. The numbers of speakers heard from the British and Scottish unions was greater than that from any other single delegation. Although a number of speakers presented views clearly in opposition to those of the majority of students present, and often cruelly offensive to members of that majority, at no time were such speakers discriminated against by the Chair."

One of our Executive's questions to its observers, quoted above, concerned minority agitation against IUS inside BNUS. "To us," answer the observers, "the significant fact is that BNUS remains affiliated and was represented at this Congress by a strong and active delegation with full voting rights. There may be 'agitation within BNUS for disaffiliation,' but should such agitation carry any weight with N.Z. students? If we are going to base our attitude on that of the BNUS Executive—a course for which there would seem to be no particular reason—why on earth go beyond that into "agitations' within BNUS? Any democratic body will have differences of opinion, but surely the democratically reached opinions of the whole body, and not the opinions of individual members or minority groups within it, are significant.

"It seems, moreover, that the Executive of the BNUS, which is perhaps getting a little crusty (Mr. Jenkins, the President, for one, having been a member of it for a number of years), is not altogether at one with the membership. At the BNUS Council meeting of some 1500 delegates after the IUS Congress, the Executive moved disaffiliation from IUS, and the motion was lost by a substantial majority. In the light of these facts, Mr, Jenkins was hardly justified to say as he did that the views he expressed were those of the majority of British students, and that IUS was becoming more unpopular among British students.