//But is it right for the Uni (who are holding the actual fee seeting during the last week of exams)

Most universities set there fees during exams or around that time. Allegedly it's because that's when they information is usually ready (I know Otago sent out provisional registration forms this week, and they have them back before they set fees).

//Is it right for the uni to debate this and try to actively stop that debate getting through to the students themselves?

The faceless "they" have yet to debate this. From what I've read, the documents concerned are discussion papers for people to read before the debate begins, outlining some options...

//Shouldn't this be a subject debated in the open rather than behind confidential closed doors?
Yes and No. If the 10% increase is merely something they're considering as an emergency case, and they end up going "Nah that's crap", then it's probably better that that is not public. It's kind of like brainstorming, you don't want every last batty idea seen. The final actual debate will be public... but there's not usually a lot of choice presented in that debate.

I don't know what Vic's VC is like, but they do raise a good point. The Fee Maxima system is really crap. The government isn't giving the universities any more money, but it's not letting them raise their fees to compensate for the increased costs, so there is a lot of bleeding going on somewhere. Fee Maxima was also really tough for university's that had been offering cheap-ish fees, in that they've ended up permanently trapped cheaper than other universities. (And now that they no longer want as many students as possible, this is not happy for them).

I'm also sick of whinging about fees being raised while universities are running surpluses. But I don't hear anybody much at Otago complaining about the new library. It was probably 5-10 years worth of surpluses saved up. So while it is a surplus in that it hasn't been spent yet, it will be spent.

All that said, taking a high court injunction seems really stupid. Vic has got a million times more publicity than it probably would have otherwise. And it will only make students bitterer.