The 2000 CAFCA Annual General Meeting was held at the Christchurch WEA on September 18. 33 members were present. Bill Rosenberg chaired. Apologies were accepted from Wolfgang Rosenberg, Gillian Southey, Daniela Bagozzi, Derek Wilson, Liz Griffiths, Martin & Lois Griffiths, Christina Stringer, Bill Willmott, Robert Hawke, Ruth Gardner, Brian Lilburn, Rob Gilchrist and Barbara Corcoran. The 1999 Minutes were read by the secretary, Murray Horton, and accepted.

The 1999/00 accounts were presented (see below. Ed). Our bookkeeper, Liz Griffiths, was away at the Sydney Olympics. We had $6,500 (reduced from $8,000 in the course of the financial year) on term deposit with the Taranaki Savings Bank (this term deposit has since been closed, and the money transferred back into our Christchurch ANZ account, in the current financial year. Ed.). The meeting accepted the accounts and thanked Liz for her essential work as bookkeeper.

Bob Leonard reported on the CAFCA/ABC Organiser Account, which pays Murray Horton. The Account hovers around $15,000 per year, the great bulk of which is used to pay Murray. Bob once again stressed the importance of donations. The proportion of income from regular pledgers, as opposed to donations, is dropping. Currently it is a 60/40 split. The meeting passed a vote of thanks for Bob (see below for Organiser accounts. Ed.).

Election of officers. Murray Horton was re-elected as secretary. The committee was re-elected - Bill Rosenberg, Dennis Small, John Ring, Reg Duder, Ray Scott. Liz Griffiths is bookkeeper; Bruce Finnerty the honorary auditor. The meeting thanked Bruce for his work as auditor.

Murray Horton presented his annual Organiser’s Report (see below. Ed).

Arising from that, Brian Stephen started a discussion on TransAlta, and the imperative need for Christchurch to have a publicly owned electricity retailer.

General Business. Bill spoke from the chair, alerting the meeting to the dangers of the Closer Economic Partnership treaty with Singapore. Christine Dann and Leigh Cookson spoke from the floor, on behalf of the Greens and GATT Watchdog respectively, on the work being done to educate people about the treaty, and to oppose it. Both stressed the necessity of urgently getting in submissions opposing it to the relevant Select Committee, as the Government had deliberately allowed only a few days for the public to make submissions (see cover story for details on the Singapore treaty, and the campaign against it, including the farcical submissions process. Ed.).

At the conclusion of business we screened the North American videos: "Global Village Or Global Pillage?" and "The WTO And The Global War System" (see elsewhere in this issue for details. Ed.).

Attendance was up at this year’s AGM, there were some new faces, noticeably more women, and some young people. Spirits were high. It has been a very productive year.