T H E M C G IL L T R IB U N E Volume 5, Number 21
Published by the Students' Society of McGill University
Tuesday 11 March, 1986
M o re C a n d id a te s T h a n S p e c ta to r s A t A ll-C a n d id a te s M e e tin g by Michèle Dupuis Election apathy continued at McGill as candidates and press outnumbered observers at the all candidates meeting last Thursday. Even several candidates did not show up. All candidates had a chance to face off against each other and to take ques tions from the floor after an opening statement of two minutes. Since many of the candidates had op posed student fee increases in their opening statements, a question from the floor asked the candidates from where they proposed to get the money to run the university. "The money should come from the government," stated Ian Brodie, can didate for Vice President External. Ac cording to Brodie, "it's a ridiculous con cept that anyone should be closed off from education simply because they
cannot pay" large tuition fees. While Chris Alexander, candidate for Arts Representative to Senate and undergraduate representative to BoG, stated that the "government had the largest responsibility for the tuition fees." François Orsat, Vice President Ex ternal candidate, stated that some money could come from links with the francophone business community in Montreal. Joe Heath, Daily news editor and can didate for President noted that federal transfer payments to the provincial government earmarked for higher education, have, at times, been re routed to other projects by the provin cial government. Heath supported "ac tive campaigning to stop university fun ding cuts," and to avert the re-routing of federal government subsidies. A question from the floor was
directed at Vice President Internal can didate concerning the Daily and the re cent controversy surrounding it. Lind say Glassco, the only candidate for this position present at the meeting, stated that she was "not fully for impeach ment." She felt that some students should remain to instruct incoming students and that "all changes can be made within the Constitution." "Graduate students are just students in a university — the same as me only with more diplomas on their walls," stated Titi Nguyen, Presidential can didate, when confronted with a ques tion on special representation in students' council for graduate students. Although Nguyen did not support special representation he did note that graduate students had "a right to decide their own fate." Presidential candidate Paul Pickersgill
stated that special representation for graduate students would be "great if that is what the students want." Fellow Presidential candidate Heath stated that he was "tired of the tug of war" bet ween graduate and undergraduate students and questioned the worth of formalizing the relations between the two student groups. O n e of the approxim ately 15 observers in attendance asked what the candidates proposed to do about stu dent apathy. Vice Presidential can didate Glassco stated that it was necessary to "somehow increase stu dent awareness of Students' Societies' activities." She suggested that more ar ticles about StudSoc be written in the various campus publications. Andrew Velthaus, Arts Senator can didate, also noted that the students' lack of information contributed to student
apathy. V.P. External candidate Robert Vézina, suggested direct mailing to students would decrease apathy due to lack of information. Fellow V.P. Exter nal candidate Ian Brodie thought that the Tribune and the Daily already fulfill student information needs "for those who bother to read them." Grace Ann Baker, candidate for Engineering Senator, claimed that apathy towards StudSoc was "a pro blem that will be handled" if she was to be elected. Candidates not in attendance at Thursday's meeting w ere: James Donoghue (President), Peter Andrew Larusso (President), Mike Gordon (Vice President In tern al), Earl Bloom (Engineering Senator), Randy Flemm ings (Arts Senator), and Harold Heft (Arts Senator).
Libel Suit
Suit, C ountersuit O n Daily Q uestion by Sophie Wilson Campaigns for the Daily staff im peachment referendum degenerated to absurd levels last week, as accusations of libel & slander threatened to render the referendum invalid. If their lawyers are correct, both Yes and No committees for the referendum have been running libellous election campaigns. Daily staff have been advised that a pamphlet distributed by Dean Rosier and Jeffrey Edwards, in which the paper was described as "racist, anti-semitic, one-sided, undemocratic and complete ly irresponsible" could be deemed libellous. Daily staff are considering tak ing Rosier and Edwards to court over the matter. A bailiff arrived on Friday morining at Jeffrey Edwards house to serve sum mons, but Edwards was out at a taping for CBC's Daybreak with Daily editor-inchief, Melinda Wittstock. Edwards and Rosier now plan to "countersue" the Daily for having printed and distributed a pamphlet in which the Daily claims to be "fighting a libellous disinformation campaign". Said Edwards, "W e're going to sue them for every cent they're worth." Daily staff asked their CRO , John Parfitt, to role on whether such accusations of slander and libel rendered the elec-
tion campaigning unfair. On Friday, Parfitt told the Daily Publications Board that he did not want to influence elec tion results with a ruling, especially when he was so unsure himself about what he should be ruling. The Board of Directors has contested Parfitt's decision to run the referendum. The Judicial Committee is not expected to hand down a ruling on the validity of the referendum until after the election is run. Edwards accused the Daily, however, of purposely delaying the hearing. Said Edwards, "François Longpré (the com mittee chair) wanted to have the hear ing Monday night. This is just another of their roadblocks they've been putting in our way." Rosier also complained to the Tribune about Daily "roadblocks". "They've tried to stop us at evey turn rather than campaigning for the "N o" side. They're afraid they'll lose if the ballot goes to election." "As it stands, ballot boxes will be seal ed until the Judicial Committee ruling. If the Board rules the election fairly run, ballots will then be counted, otherwise, all ballots will be destroyed. Dailyites staffing the office on Friday were quite pleased at the prospect of a lawsuit against Edwards and Rosier.
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Paul Pickersgill, Titi N guyen and Joe H eath , the Presidential can d id ate s present at the A llC an d id a te s M eeting photo _ Ezra Greenberg
Senate G uidlines O n G roups? by Stephen Hum Senate will take steps to more closely regulate the functioning of student associations at McGill if the recommen dations of the Ad Hoc Committee of Student Association Constitutions are accepted. Set up in the latter half of the first semester, the committee will present its conclusions and recommendations at tomorrow's regular meeting of the M cGill Senate. It will propose the establishment of a Senate Standing Committee on Student Association Constitutions to be chaired by the Dean of Students with represen tatives drawn from the staff and student
PGSS Positions Mostly Acclaim ed by Tribune News Staff It is election time at the Post Graduate Students' Society (PGSS) too, but only one of nine graduate student positions is being contested. The entire executive of the PGSS has been acclaimed. The only race is for the Graduate representative to the Board of Gover nors with two candidates in the race. Alex Koukoulas is doing his PhD in Chemistry. He offers electors his ex perience as PGSS VP (Internal) and sit ting on various Senate committees. If elected, he will push for an increase in funding for graduate students, especially as funding from SSHRC and NSERC is expected to decrease. Such an increase "will especially effect research advisors," he said. He also will move for the university to initiate a uniform program for offsetting differential fees faced by international students. "Right now, it is only a depart-
mental policy," he said. "If a depart ment has money, they turn it over to in ternational students, but it meets only about 40% of the expenses. I will push for a university-wide policy." "The $100 fee was not done in a very honest manner, and w e should safeguard against that happening again," he said. He suggested the possibility of passing Senate by-laws that make sure students are consulted every time a change in the fee structure is brought about. David Schulze is doing an MA in History. He brings with him experience in student journalism as past editor of the Observer. He has also been the u nd ergrad u ate rep resen tative on History department assemblies. "M cGill might be changing direction to make research its vocation," he said. "Such a change would have very im portant consequences for graduate
studnets who might find themselves teaching more and more courses." Also, as more professors limit themselves to research, McGill will rely on sessional lectureres to teach. "That would significantly change the job pro spects for graduate students." he said. "Graduate students need someone to speak up on these matters." Schulze would also push for the ratification of the Charter of Student Rights, and the standardisation of work ing conditions of TAs across all depart ments. The following have been acclaimed: President: Robert Barsky; VP (Finance): Jacqueline Winters; VP (University Af fairs): Mark Readman; VP (Internal): Eva Szigethy; VP (External): Gene-Viève Tanguay; Secretary: Dianne Dutton;; Graduate Senator (Academic): Lee Iver son; Graduate Senator (Professional: Jane Ward.
caucuses of Senate and the Board of Governors. The newly-minted committee would be mandated to draft a set of "fun damental principles" that all associa tion constitutions must conform with in order to gain Senate approval. The committee would also review all constitutions coming before Senate,, as well as all constitutions previously pass ed by that body, to ensure conformity w ith th ese yet-to-be d elin ea te d guidelines. Lastly, the Standing Committee will be mandated to draft guidelines for the "financial accountability" of student organizations such as StudSoc or the McGill Daily on whose behalf the University collects fees. It will also put in place a mechanism for ensuring com pliance with these guidelines. Members of the Ad Hoc Committee contacted by the Tribune, by in large, refused to . speculate as to what the ramifications of the report are for the continued financial and political autonomy of student associations. Dean of Students Irwin Gopnik who sat on the Ad Hoc Committee said, "Frankly, it (guidelines) will make them stronger. If their finances are in the clear and they are responsible to their members, associations will be able to better represent students." Gopnik pointed out that the Commit tee had concluded that while "it is not the legal responsibility of the Senate or the Board, to receive and approve the constitutions of student organizations" nor is there any "legal significance at tached to the act of approving constitu tions by Senate," there is a "moral and political" significance. Student Committee member Maria
Lang agreed with Gopnik. "There's a strong political argument that Senate ought to 'protect' students from pro mulgating a bad constitution. Students should be protected from their own mistakes." But Lang conceded that there may be implications for the political autonomy of student organizations. "They (Senate) are clearly in charge in an official sense. There is a danger, I suppose, in that we will to an extent depend upon the good will of Senators." Gopnik declined to discuss whether or not the conclusions of the committee would make the University liable for the recovery of misspent fees which it has collected. "I'm not a lawyer. Besides, I think to speculate on this would be pro jecting too far into the future. It’s up to the standing committee to settle this matter." But, Gopnik stated that the university has a "moral responsibility" to ensure the proper use of fees that it has under taken to collect. Committee members were uncertain as to how the recommendations would effect the handling of individual cases of financial irresponsibility within student organizations such as misappropriation of funds by an officer. Student member Steven Fraser, Secretary of the Post Graduate Students' Society Council speculated that the Standing Committee might require stu dent constitutions to include provisions for impeachment of irresponsible of ficials. While much of the committee's report deals with the need to ensure that stu d e n t c o n s titu tio n s are "democratic" and "fair," members of
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