Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Student and pro-life groups at odds

Updated at 8:36 pm on 16 July 2012

The Auckland University Students Association says it is not robbing an anti-abortion group of its right to free speech, by calling a meeting to consider banning it from campus.

The university club, ProLife Auckland, says the special general meeting scheduled for Wednesday was prompted by a single anonymous complaint about a pamphlet it had distributed.

It says it has not had a chance to defend itself.

But association administrative vice president Daniel Haines says it is only interested in facilitating a discussion as a neutral party.

He says everyone will have a chance to present their views at the special general meeting.

Mr Haines says the rules were tightened recently and it is harder to have a club banned on a whim.

ProLife Auckland says it passed out pamphlets on campus in May, prompting an anonymous e-mail complaint claiming they contained harmful misinformation.

President Amy Blowerssays a student association meeting then decided to hold a special general meeting to consider disaffiliating the club.

But she says she and her club were never contacted and only found out when a notification was posted on the association's website.

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