UMSU council notes

Campaign expenses approved — no free food for voters

Chelse McKee, staff

The University of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU) holds open council meetings every second Thursday at 6 p.m. in 176 Helen Glass. The most recent meeting was held on Jan. 24, 2008.

The meeting was scheduled to begin with a presentation from the Ombudperson office but, as Rachel Heinrichs announced, there would be no such presentation. She said that the person designated to give the presentation “couldn’t make it.”

The meeting then succeeded directly into reports beginning with the president’s report.

Garry Sran, president of UMSU, discussed the Board of Governors budgetary meetings, saying that although the meetings began a month late, they were now “in full motion.” The meetings were to inform the university of UMSU’s budget priorities.

Sran also began to talk about a presentation made to the provincial NDP government about the need for a capital fund for the university and the school’s financial need due to the infrastructure deficit. UMSU also spoke to the NDP about the need for a new loan interest rate, to be set at prime, and more bursaries and scholarships offered to students.

“They are looking into this,” Sran said to council.

Sran also mentioned the plans to meet with the other political parties of the province like the Liberals and the Conservatives but mentioned that although they had a future meeting with the Liberals, they were still awaiting response from the Conservatives for a meeting.

During Amanda Johnson’s vice-president (external) report, she recalled the International Students’ Gathering held at the University of Winnipeg. She said that the main issues discussed were extending health care and the fees set for international students.

Afterwards, Mike Einarson, the vice-president internal, began his report by saying that he and Sran’s trip to the Endowment Fund Board of Trustees was successful and that the board would now be funding several campus projects and groups like undergraduate travel grants, UMSU Living, Peers, and additional money to the scholarship RC Armatage, which was increased to $1,000.

Einarson also mentioned that funding for the on-campus daycare Play Care would be discussed with the board at a future meeting after members have had a chance to research the benefits of more funding.

Last in Einarson’s report was the need for applicants for campus positions. Einarson said that current campus job openings include a program assistant at Peers, a tax office supervisor, and various poll clerks for the upcoming UMSU elections.

However, the selections committee has filled the student-at-large position on the campaign expense committee had been filled.

Then Stephanie Fera, the newly hired CRO for the upcoming electoral season, began her report on behalf of the campaign expense committee. She presented three motions to council regarding the finances of prospective presidential candidates.

The first motion carried regarded the total finances available to each candidate, which came out to $300 for general election candidates, $100 for community representative candidates, and $400 for referendum campaign sides.

Fera was quick to add that these numbers are projected on the assumption that it will be a three-slate candidacy. Anymore she says and it “could possibly put us over budget.”

The second motion, after it was carried, stated that the “minimum assigned value for website hosting will be $30.”

Unlike the two former motions, the third was greeted with a slough of objections. The motion stated that a candidate have a maximum food and beverage budget of $100 as part of their campaign. Sran was first to speak suggesting that perhaps 33 per cent of the budget up to $100 of the campaign budget would be more acceptable.

Human ecology councillor Kristen Roos, a member of the campaign expense committee, retorted, “This has been the set number for the last two years. We’re making this really difficult.”

Soon the issue was brought up by one councillor that candidates had used the food and beverage budget in the past for barbeques and open houses to have voters know the electoral slates. Sran said that the food and beverage budget was designated only for the slate’s campaign volunteers.

Daniel Draper, LGBT representative, replied that buying votes wasn’t democratic.

Hal Brownlee, the chair of council, said with a laugh, “Yeah, it is.”

Draper recanted loudly that the “chair cannot comment!”

The matter was quickly resolved with Sran’s suggestion of 33 per cent up to $100 being amended into the new motion.