A petition presented by Act on Campus President Peter McCaffrey challenging the validity of last month’s VUWSA by-election has drawn absolutely no response from the Returning Officer Mark Maguire.
The petition calls for a formal inquiry to take place regarding three points of contention.
It contends the electronic ballots used in the election were unconstitutional, two different ballot papers were used, and there were inadequate security measures in place for paper voting.
According to VUWSA’s constitution, an independent review committee will be required to consider the points raised in the petition.
Of particular interest was the total number of ballots cast, the split between online and on paper and the number of “no confidence” votes where the option should not have been offered.
Despite having over a week to deal with the requests and recieving numerous calls, notes, voicemails and visits, Macguire has failed to provide Salient or McCaffrey with the information.
Macguire referred Salient’s inquiries to the disbanded Election Committee headed by former VUWSA President Jeremy Greenbrook-Held.
Greenbrook-Held advised Macguire to release the information to Salient, but so far he has failed to do so.
VUWSA President Jasmine Freemantle refused to comment on the election. She too directed all inquires to the election committee.
Maguire refused to comment on whether a review committee had been set up.
Salient let out a loud, audible groan wondering who on earth knows what’s going on two flights downstairs.
The least enforced financial members of VUWSA can expect from this bureaucracy purporting to represent us is accountability.
A minimal requirement, VUWSA adherence to their own rules.
Surely?
That VUWSA is redundant in its purpose is apparent by the President interrupting lectures attempting to find some mandate on which to act.
The dis-interested response from the majority of students on the two financial questions asked (none regarding the enforced membership fee to VUWSA), alongside the usual lack of quorum, low voter response to VUWSA elections clearly shows student dis-interest.
Remind me again of the purpose of this institution?
Susan, Susan, Susan. Surely it is all justified by giving my darling Jasmine a reason to appear in public more. Even her name reminds me of a flower, although I think it is technically actually a herb. Nonetheless, her beauty will haunt my dreams for the rest of my sad, unfulfilled life.
What is a mere $120, give or take, compared to a Freemantle-free existence? A life not worth living, I say, without this token pittance towards her greatness.
I like to imagine her clutching it to her bosom, my personal $120, in crisp, well pressed $5 bills.
It would also be cool to imagine her trying to clutch it in $2 coins she would be running around picking them up everywhere and dropping them when she couldn’t have enough and they rolling everywhere while she picks them up and drops the other ones
To be fair, I have had an acknowledgment that they’ve received the dispute, but that’s all so far.