The third and final reading of bylaw amendments met with no discussion and were passed almost unanimously, making the changes law within the Student Union.
Prior to voting on the bylaw amendments, references to liaison positions were removed from the bylaw amendment package. Bylaws referring to liaison positions are to be altered based on the work of an Ad Hoc committee whose task was to consider what positions should be created, and how candidates would be elected into those positions. These positions are meant to represent marginalized groups on campus.
Student Council passed a motion that Women, Aboriginal, LGBTQ and Differently-Abled Representatives be elected by persons who self-identify with those groups. The election is to be done with paper ballots, in a specific location, overseen by the Chief Returning Officer. An Off Campus Students’ Representative is to be elected by off campus students through online voting.
Arts Representative Tom Cheney spoke on behalf of the committee and explained that most representative positions are a matter of self-identity and voters could never be asked to prove that they were aboriginal, gay or lesbian. So it was suggested that voters come to a voting space, self identify on paper and then be given a paper ballot. By voting for different representatives at the same booth another layer of anonymity is added. Issues were also discussed about barriers to attending Annual General Meetings, or any event that requires constituents to openly self-identify within the student body.
VP Academic Shannon Carmont-McKinley raised concern over voters who might abuse the voting system by claiming to self-identify as something they are not and vote for the candidate whose views they want at the council table. Computer Science Representative Ash Furrow pointed out that there are mechanisms within council to remove a candidate who did not represent their constituency, and VP External Brideau said he couldn’t image someone who did not represent a constituency having the nerve to run for and hold a council position. Forestry Representative Rachel McKinley pointed out that many of these communities gaining a representative on council are close knit and any dishonesty happening within the community has the potential to be dealt with within the community.
The motion for representative recommendations passed unanimously.
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