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thegazette • Thursday, September 19, 2013
Committee to oversee Gazette Taxes and taxicabs “Middle man” aims to improve relations with USC Iain Boekhoff News Editor A new standing committee of the University Students’ Council board of directors has been created to improve the arm’s-length relationship between the USC and The Gazette. At a meeting of the USC board of directors Tuesday, USC president Pat Whelan and Gazette editor-in-chief Julian Uzielli presented their proposal for the creation of The Gazette Publishing Committee. Former USC president Adam Fearnall first proposed the idea after a large and public dispute last year between The Gazette and the USC. “A lot of the time when there have been conflicts in the past, it’s come down to personality conflicts between the president and editorin-chief,” Uzielli said. “This year so far I’ve had a good relationship with Pat, so we thought we should try and get something on the table fix the relationship problems that have always plagued The Gazette and the USC.” The committee will serve as an arm’s-length organization responsible for managing the USC’s stake in The Gazette on their behalf. The committee will be responsible for financial oversight, long-term strategic planning and policy recommendations for the The Gazette, while day-to-day editorial control will remain in the hands of the editor-in-chief. “The idea behind it is the USC can’t do a good job as managers when they’re being publicly criticized by the people they’re supposed to be managing, and The Gazette can’t do a good job of criticizing them if they’re afraid of retribution when they’re doing just that,” Uzielli said. “So we had this sort of broken relationship. The way we’re trying to
Bill Wang GAZETTE
Aboutown in financial trouble Aboutown, a transportation company recognized by most London residents for its blue and white taxi cabs and shuttle buses for Western’s affiliate colleges, was announced Tuesday to have taken the first step towards the potential liquidation of its assets, according to the London Free Press. Aboutown Transportation’s placement into receivership — the movement of an enterprise and its assets into the hands of a designated party — was ordered by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC). The appointed receiver is Chris Mazur, a senior vice-president of BDO Canada Ltd. In addition to $1.6 million being sought by the BDC for outstanding loans had by Aboutown, a January 1 document states the Canadian Revenue Agency is seeking $627,531 in tax compensation from Aboutown, according to the Free Press.
“This was an application to appoint a receiver, the $1.6 million is derived from principal and interest owed to the lender,” he explained. “So, essentially […] an order was granted, which empowers BDO Canada Ltd. to deal with the real estate property owned by [Aboutown].” The decision to submit to receivership was not refuted by James T. Donnelly, President and CEO of Aboutown Transportation. Donnelly was not available for comment. Further allegations, although not officially substantiated, accuse Aboutown of withholding or failing to make payments to a number of employees, who are amongst the parties listed by the Free Press to receive compensation. Aboutown Transportation, a prominent player in the London transportation sector, has been in operation since 1947. —Lily Robinson
DUDE, WHERE’S MY MIDDLEMAN? A committee has been created to oversee The Gazette on the USC’s behalf, in an effort to ease their sometimes-tense relationship. The committee is the result of collaboration between USC president Pat Whelan (left) and Gazette editor-in-chief Julian Uzielli, pictured here in the Gazette office.
fix it is by putting in a middle man.” The committee will consist of four students who are not affiliated with the USC or The Gazette, as well as three non-student community members. The students will hold two-year terms and the community members will hold three-year terms. The committee will also have the editor-in-chief and several other stakeholders from The Gazette and the USC as non-voting resource members. Whelan said he hoped the new committee could help solve some long-standing problems. “I think there’s always been certain tension between the leadership of The Gazette and the leadership of the
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USC and it’s always been tough to be able to negotiate our public roles from our professional roles in the sense that I have a role as a politician, the editor-in-chief has a role as a journalist and then at the same time we also have professional roles in the sense that we work together. So that can really get complicated.” While student members of the committee must commit to not volunteering with the USC or The Gazette for two years, Whelan said he thought plenty of students would jump at the opportunity to get involved at the governance level of the organization. The committee is expected to be up and running by next semester.
Logan Ly GAZETTE
A VAN ABOUTOWN. Aboutown Transportation is handing off control of its assets to BDO Canada Ltd. on Tuesday, foreshadowing possible liquidation.