Salient

AGM next week promises riveting constitutional amendment action

By Laura McQuillan | 10 Sep, 2007

Six motions have been proposed for the VUWSA Annual General Meeting (AGM), which takes place next Wednesday.

VUWSA Environmental Officer Tushara Kodikara has expressed outrage over a motion by Bevan Callaghan regarding removing the Queer Officer and Environmental Officer, and creating a ‘Representative Organisations Officer’.

The motion reads that, “That the executive officer positions of Environmental officer and Queers rights Officer be replaced by a single Representative Organisations Officer (Rep Groups Officer).”

The motion states that the Rep Groups Officer would be the liason point for VicCom, STUDIO, LSS and PGSA, along with all other ‘Representative Organisations’.

Kodikara says the motion is “ludicrous”, and would mean that the student voice on University environmental issues would be abolished.

“If this motion passes, it would mean that VUWSA would have no one to work on environmental issues…The crux of the matter is that the University is becoming more sustainable, and for this to happen properly, a student voice is needed. If the motion passes, this student voice will be lost,” says Kodikara.

VUWSA Treasurer Alexander Neilson told Salient that he has discussed the motion with Callaghan, who had informed him that it would not also cover the representative portfolios of Women’s Rights Officer and International Officer, as students represented by these officers do not ‘choose’ to be women and international students respectively – whereby suggesting queer students have a choice in their sexual orientation.

Neilson has also proposed a Constitutional amendment – that a third Vice President’s position, Administration, be created in place of the Treasurer.

The Administration Vice President would retain many of the same duties and goals, as well as that of Acting President in the absence of the President and other Vice Presidents.

Neilson anticipates having majority support to pass the motion.

Other motions include recognising Vic Earth and the Education Action Group as representative organizations.

The AGM takes place at 1pm on September 19 at Mount Street Bar and Café. The meeting is, as usual, expected to struggle to meet quorum of 100 students.

CORRECTION: The magazine for the past wee while has said the AGM is taking place at midday. Turns out we made that up. Whoops. Show up at 1pm and raise your hand to help make quorum!