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YOU ALL LOOK RIDICULOUS

Draaaaaama!
   The fall-out from the referendum continued last week, and depending on which way you looked at it, it was hilarious, pathetic, or both. I’m going with both.
   For the uninitiated: two weeks ago a referendum was held and students overwhelmingly voted to downsize the Exec and move SGMs online. The downsizing bit was the most controversial as the minority rep positions (ie. Queer and Women’s Reps) were taken off the Exec and put into a committee, the chair of which will be on the Exec. I hope that makes sense.
   The problem was, OUSA ballsed up the running of the referendum – there were biased ads and questions over whether students were given enough notice.
   So, when the minority groups saw the results they were pissed (as you would be) and filed complaints. Happens all the time. Democracy in action. All good. The complaints were not upheld, but they could then appeal to an independent arbitrator. Again, all good. All very democratic.
   Problem is, the time the constitution allows for the appeals to be heard eats into the time the constitution says nominations have to be open before an election happens. And the election is coming up soon for next year’s Exec. Of course, they want people to be nominated for the positions that will be on next year’s Exec and at this stage, with the appeals process dragging out, they don’t know what those positions will be.
   Whoever didn’t factor in all that timing is a sop.
   So, in an effort to dig themselves out of this hole, President Harriet Geoghegan tried last week to change the election dates and push them back a week. To do so, the Exec had to meet and vote. For an Exec meeting to be constitutional there need to be at least 11 Exec members present to gain quorum and then at least 50 percent have to vote for a motion to pass.
   Before it even came to the voting side of things, General Rep Imogen Roth launched into a speech, called Geoghegan a liar, said everything sucked – and then walked out. She was followed by Post Grad Rep Travis Monk, Queer Rep Rosalin MacKenzie, Science Rep Michael Anderson, and Women's Rep Shonelle Eastwood. No quorum. Meeting over. Cue dumbstruck faces all round.
   If they had stayed, they would have been outvoted, but by walking out they got to have their way.
   I’ll give you guys points for shock value. And it’s awesome fun to report on. But if you’re going to try and claim this is some victory for democracy – it’s not. Just like it wasn’t when people used the same tactics at an SGM to stop the creation of the Queer Rep two years ago.
   If you had problems with the referendum, they should have been aired beforehand. It’s now too little, too late. This kind of immature, petty manouevring is part of the reason students don’t get involved in student politics – and why they voted en masse to downsize you.
   Nicely played.