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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 36, Number 18. 26th July 1973

Russell Johnson — Man Vice-President

Russell Johnson — Man Vice-President

A charge that is often thrown at socialist candidates by their opponents in student elections is that by running on a broad political platform we are not relating to student interests. Where do we stand on increased university workloads, on cramped library conditions, on student housing, on the quality and cost of cafeteria food, etc, etc? Of course the Young Socialist candidates (who are, after all, students ourselves) are concerned about these questions and if elected to office would devote a good deal of our energies to furthering the immediate interests of the student body. After all, that is one of the principal reasons why a student association and a student executive exist.

But students as a whole today are interested in more than their own piece of bread and butter. They have again and again shown their concern over broad political questions such as Vietnam, apartheid and women's rights, and candidates have a duty to state where they stand on such issues. In addition to mobilising students in defence of their immediate interests, the Young Socialist candidates including myself as Man Vice President, if elected, will campaign for support for the following points:

—For a continuing campaign for the complete and unconditional US and NZ withdrawal from Southeast Asia. Stop the bombing of Cambodia. Break all NZ ties with the Saigon dictatorship. Support the July 27 antiwar picket of the Saigon embassy.

—For a women's rights university. For a free 24-hour government-financed university creche. For a women's studies course incorporated into the university curricula. Full support for the women's rights parade on Suffrage Day, September 19, demanding that abortion be a women's right to choose.

—For homosexual rights. End all discrimination against gays.

—For a university open to all. Cost of living bursaries to all students. End UE admission requirements (which, for example, prevent Maoris, Polynesian and overseas students who are not fluent in English from entering university).

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Photo of Peter Rotherham