Vietnam motion passed

(By Tony Jaques)

The Otago University Student Council has passed a motion against New Zealand's involvement in Vietnam, for the first time.

The motion was passed in spite of 40 dissenting votes in a meeting of about 112.

The motion stated: "That this Council regrets the attitude of the Government in maintaining a New Zealand military presence as allies of America in Vietnam."

The meeting also considered a motion "That we deplore the recent Government attempt at political censorship. when it refused funds to allow three foreign speakers to attend the 'Peace Power and Politics in Asia Conference' and that we view such a precedent as being quite opposed to the spirit of the democracy in which we live."

This motion was lost on the grounds that the Reserve Bank's decision had been legitimate and that Mr. Muldoon had simply been following it.