NZUSA could find itself without a WRAC Co-ordinator if the position of Women's Vice President is not created before August Council.

For the third council running, delegates debated this issue when the present Women's Rights Action Committee (WRAC) Co-ordinator, Denese Black, submitted a report to a special plenary on the second day of May Council.

The report contained two motions to be voted on at the special plenary. The first was to the effect that an NZUSA Special General Meeting to be held on July 12, if the necessary 28 votes to make a constitutional change have been reached, to amend the constitution to make provision for a full time Women's Vice President.

The position of WRAC Co-ordinator is a part time one. However, many people believe - including the WRAC Co-ordinator - that the amount of work to be done requires a full time officer.

During Women's Commission Denese stated that WRAC could not continue to function without a WVP. She described the Co-ordinator's position as a "facade" and admitted that the main reason she stood as WRAC Co-ordinator for a second time last August was to push for a WVP. If such a position is not created, Denese says she sees no point in continuing in her present capacity. When asked to elaborate on this comment Denese said she was considering resigning but had no definite plans.

In the past, it has been argued that while in principle the creation of a WVP is desirable, NZUSA has needs that take a higher priority. NZUSA is chronically short of clerical staff which affects the work of both part and full time officers.

NZUSA is not in a particularly healthy financial position and it has seemed just not the right time to create the position of another full time officer. However, Denese pointed out in her report that it would cost each student only 46 cents a year to finance a WVP.

The present situation is that all campuses except for Otago, Lincoln, and Victoria have voted for the creation of a WVP making a total of 26 votes out of the 28 that are needed to make a constitutional change. A motion was put to Victoria's students last year to support the creation of a WVP but was lost.

Three Campuses to Vote; or Seven?

The second motion put to the special plenary related to this. It urged Otago, Lincoln and Victoria to hold student meetings to re-assess their stance on the question of a WVP before the July SGM.

There was much discussion over the date set in the first motion. Victoria's delegation felt it left them too little time to organise a campaign before the SGM because of the two week study break. August Council was suggested as an alternative, but rejected because it left no time to advertise the position.

The motion was finally amended to read that the SGM be held on July 26 and carried.

The second motion caused even more debate. An amendment was moved by Victoria and seconded by Otago that the issue be discussed and voted on by all seven campuses because of new economic conditions and a new student body this year.

Undemocratic comments like, "we won't do that because we might not get it through a second time," flew around the room. A member of Victoria's delegation, Roger Tobin, pointed out that it was not just policy but genuine support that campuses needed in actioning such a constitutional change. The meeting broke up while delegates caucused. When they returned, the amendment was lost.

A further amendment was proposed by Massey - that the issue be raised again for debate on all campuses but no new vote be taken except at Otago, Lincoln, and Victoria. The meeting eventually decided to lapse the second motion and simply leave it to constituents to decide what sort of action to take.

Michele A'Court