Low student poll on sports contacts

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34106, 19 March 1976, Page 1

Low student poll on sports contacts

Continued opposition to sporting contacts with iSouth Africa is indicated in the results of a referendum •held by University of Canterbury students yesterday.

In a low poll of 2279, 'students out of the 6800 eligible to vote, 40.85 1 per cent (931) supported sports contacts; with South Africa, and. 57.03 per cent (1306) opposed sports contacts. Forty-two votes were invalid. In a similar poll in 1972 on the proposed 1973 Springbok tour of New Zealand; more than 4000 students out; of the 6400 eligible to vote 1 recorded a 75 per cent vote against the proposed tour,; and 25 per cent voted in 1 favour. At that time, however, the issue may have been; influenced by the threat of a boycott of the 1974 Commonwealth Games if a tour took' place. The president of the University of Canterbury Students’ Association (Mr Don Leonardo) said last evening; that he was disappointed' about the number of students who had voted in view of the 12-day period of lectures, seminars and films held by the association on sports contacts with South Africa and apartheid before the referendum. “Perhaps South Africa is; slowly becoming a non-issue; among students, but I hope! this will not be so as it is an important moral question, for all New Zealanders,’’ he' said. Results of the polling booths .were.—

Engineering School, 211 in favour, 210 against. Science lecture block. 177 for. 241 against. Arts lecture theatres, 83 for, 106 against. Students’ Association building, 236 for, 393 against. James Hight library, 198 for, 330 against. Christchurch Clinical School, 16 for, 21 against. At Massey University, Palmerston North, yesterday 1068 students, 27 per cent of the Students’ Association membership voted on: “Do you want the Massey University Students’ Association to have a policy of active opposition to the Rugby tour of South Africa.” Of this figure, 657 said no. 386 said yes and 25 were unsure. The decision of the Massey University students would not alter the stand which constituent associations of the New Zealand UniversityStudents’ Association had to apartheid and sporting contacts with South Africa, a spokesman for the association said last evening. There are no plans at present for a national referendum of students on the issues. Commenting on the results of the two referenda, the International vice-president of the N.Z.U.S.A., Mr D. Carson, said that the contrast between them showed that the Canterbury decision had been made from informed opinion. “It was made after a long period of debate,” he said.