UMSU takes on voter apathy

Chelsea Moore staff

This week, students at the University of Manitoba will pledge to their student union to vote in the upcoming Jan. 23 federal election. In exchange, their names will enter into a draw, and one lucky participant will win an i-POD when the draw is held on Jan. 24.

The voter pledge forms are just one initiative of many that UMSU is taking, in collaboration with other schools and organizations, to get students to the polling stations.

“Our first priority in the federal election is to engage our members about issues on education and post-secondary education,” said UMSU president Amanda Aziz.

UMSU is an affiliate of the Target Education Coalition, made up of faculty, students, the Manitoba Organization of Faculty Associations, the Manitoba component of the Canadian Federation of Students, the Red River College Students’ Association, the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 3909 on campus, and the Winnipeg Labour Council.

This coalition has been working directly with electoral candidates to encourage their support of a dedicated transfer payment of at least $4 billion — enough to reinstate the amount previously cut — governed by post-secondary education.

“It’s been focusing on trying to engage candidates, the general public and, more specifically, our members on this campus around issues related to post-secondary education,” noted Aziz.

One recommendation that the coalition has made is to enact a Post-secondary Education Act based on “public funding, accessibility, comprehensiveness, transportability and universality.”

This coalition has also circulated questionnaires to party offices to help gather information on education platforms. The responses will be compiled in a report card and made available to students with the hope of bringing to their attention important party policies relating to the commercialization of funding for education and the accessibility of student financial assistance.

“In a way, that’s encouraging people to ask questions of the candidates in their own ridings about where they stand on issues about education,” said Aziz.

UMSU is also hosting a series of forums prior to the upcoming election with the aim of educating students on where the different parties stand on core issues such as Aboriginal issues, education and health care.