Extra UMSU concil meeting

Chief returning officer hired for 2007 General Election

TESSA VANDERHART STAFF

At a not-regularly scheduled UMSU council meeting held Nov. 16, 16 councillors — just meeting quorum — approved a Chief Returning Officer to run the March General Election, which this year will include several referendum questions.

Caitlin Brown, last year’s UMSU CRO for the General Election in March, was recommended to fill the position again this year by the executive. As more councillors arrived, council voted unanimously to approve the decision to hire her, after asking a few questions.

Brown said that she would provide information about the election earlier, to prevent students from being “bombarded” with the campaign in February, and to encourage more candidates to run. She added that she intends to build on the strengths of last year’s election — notably the networked, online voting system — to encourage students to vote on the Bannatyne campus, in colleges and on other campuses, polling stations other than the one in University Centre, which traditionally has by far the greatest voter turnout.

Before being hired as UMSU CRO last year, Brown was a student at the University of Winnipeg where she was elected vice-president (student services) for the University of Winnipeg Students’ Association. More recently, she has interned at a film production company in Winnipeg.

Brown will also be in charge of holding referenda to increase the student levy for a number of student organizations on campus, including CJUM-FM 101.5, the University of Manitoba Recycling and Environmental Group (UMREG), and the World University Service of Canada (WUSC), which respectively collect $2.50, $1, and $0.50 per term, said UMSU president Garry Sran after the meeting.

The agenda also included the normal executive and committee reports, and concluded with a second motion. At the Nov. 9 UMSU council meeting, icePIRG organizer Troy Stozek asked UMSU to support the Raza family, a Pakistani couple and their children who are currently living in sanctuary in the Crescent Fort Rouge United Church to avoid deportation.

Council voted unanimously in favour of sending a letter to the Minister of Immigration Monte Solberg asking him to reverse the Immigration decision, after learning that the Razas face religious persecution upon return to Pakistan, and that University of Manitoba chancellor Bill Norrie has sent letters in support of their cause.