'No pressure to sign petition’

Press, 11 April 1978, Page 6

'No pressure to sign petition’

No pressure was put on students to sign the Repeal (Petition at the University of 'Canterbury on enrolment day, according to Mrs Honor Bonisch, the regional coordinator of Repeal. “Repeal denies that pressure has been put on people to sign its petition. The use

of pressure would be contrarv i to the policy of this organisation,” she said yesterday. Mrs Bonisch was replying to allegations made bv the I Minister of Social Welfare I (Mr Walker) that students at 'the university had been presjsured into signing the petition on enrolling day. Mr! (Walker had said that many! j young students must have found themselves in a dilemma with the thought that’ [refusal to sign the petition [might affect their future at I university. Regarding the complaint! [made by one student at the, ‘university. Mrs Bonisch said.; [it was believed that the Vice- 1 [Chancellor (Professor A. D.[ Brownlie) had made a statement that students were not

required to sign the petition [and that refusal to do so would not affect their careers. “We are giving the public the only opportunity available at present to- register opposition to the present legislation,” she said. “Most people are anxious to sign and the great majority come forward spontaneously.”

ij “Repeal of the legislation -is our only aim. This is clearly stated at the top of ; the petition forms," she said. > Mrs Jacqueline Steincamp, > regional chairman of the t Abortion Law Reform As-1 ■ sociation, said yesterday that - Repeal forms were not being! ?i handed out to students en'!rolling at university. “One; j woman in one department • had one fonn on which she ( gathered 25 signatures. This i'form was later stolen,” she (said. I Mrs Steincamp’s assertion .that the petition form had ijbeen stolen from the univer-' . isity was supported bv Mr A. ■iL. Wilkinson who. in a letter ■■to “The Press,” said that the ■ form had been stolen when! it was almost full.