Blog # 27 University of Canterbury Students Association Executive Election of Officers Number 2 ????
Day one after nomination being accepted by Candidate “No Nukes” and a bit of candidate profile mixed in
Exciting as day one.
A. Nearly got beaten up and arrested, got an apology from the leader of the New Zealand Labour Party and List MP Andrew Little, attended the partially attended candidates briefing and afterwards was again approached from behind and had a succinct discussion with President “two pay packets” Ms S Platt and so far have four confirmed votes.
Let’s start with the “nearly got beaten up and arrested” part. As a year one and year three Law student one needs to test the law to ensure it is robust. Have some experience in the environment court, Sea level rise, global warning etc. So when I heard there was a “lock down” on campus. I spotted the boys in black heavily guarding the C block complex. So took a few photos wandered up the lane straight into the cordoned off area and entered the building unopposed or unchallenged if you like. Wandered around for a while took a few photos considering what to do next. Then it all happened. I heard the pitter patter of feet from behind and thought this is it as I stood there with heavily loaded back pack and large Botswanan satchel and braced myself to be thrown to the floor with a dozen or more Armed offenders squad members jumping on top of me bending my arm up my back (again), handcuffed, pepper sprayed and having a dozen or so Glock pistols pointed at me as well as another unknown number of black intimidating laser emitting Armalite rifles being pointed at me as well. Expecting to be searched and thrown in the back of the paddy wagon and off to the nearest police station top face the wrath of the Judiciary. Hoping not to get Judge Neave again as he has accused me of bringing a “gun” to his court before. The hairs on the back of my neck were raised in fear and anticipation of the pain and detainment that was about to befall me. So I turned around expecting to put up my arms in the surrender position and claim a Writ of Habeas Corpus and instead of heavy armed members of the Armed offenders Squad with red lasers pointed all over my torso there stood Doris all 42 kilograms of her, no rifle, no Glock, no handcuffs, no screaming get down on the floor put your hands behind your neck etc tasked with the role of finding out what I was doing inside the heavily secured cordon on behalf of the A O S. Though might be able to take her out quickly and make a run for it but then remembered she had back up aplenty and any commotion would make things worse. I did think of making a run for the men’s thinking she would not enter that male sanctuary. In hindsight thought should have put my back pack down in the middle of the floor and ran out yelling “suspicious package” and headed to the safety of the Foundry. With further hindsight wished I had had a bomb. A stink bomb that would have got the attention of the senior officers in lecture hall C1. Elvis would not have been the only one leaving the building. Upon leaving the building I did ask the assembled black attired heavily armed boys in black that were they aware that they all had just witnessed someone whom had entered this heavily cordoned off area. I trust they would have included this incident in the debrief but who knows.

B. No repeated met the candidate’s opportunity for this election for other than the Presidential candidates and this disappointedly includes the finance candidates whom last time could not tell us how much money the U C S A had. We need to find out how much of the recent $550 million pay-out form I A G was for the Foundry, 62% of which is owned by you the UCSA membership. If elected I would have put up a list of current UCSA bank account balances for all members to see on the wall at the UCSA reception by noon Wednesdays. Transparency is important to regain the trust of the membership. Please remember the current executive could not muster enough members to turn up to the last Half AGM to change the constitution despite offering free lunches. This money and it will be many millions of dollars must be put into a UCSA bank account and urgently.

C. The reapplying candidates have had two weeks of campaigning for the cancelled election and now they have the advantage of being afforded another two weeks campaigning. So they get four weeks publicity and the 4 new candidates get two weeks. Unfair and unnecessary. Dirty politics all over again.
D The returning Officer has been asked to get another legal opinion but hasn’t got back to me yet This relates to the issues in his inbox. He has refused to extend the nomination period sadly.
E What I like about University of Canterbury I can get in 6 runs at Mt Hutt and still make my one o’clock lecture
F Pet hate. Snowboarders They sit on the chairlift listening to music not meeting new people like the hordes of our Australian tourists at Mt Hutt and then when they get to the top of the chairlift they have to sit down for a rest or something and get in the way of us real mountain types. Get your own mountains.
G Vehicle 4WD Toyota Hilux Surf Great for hunting and fishing. Whilst on the subject of Huntsoc. A formal expression of concern in accordance with the Constitutions of both the UCSA and Huntsoc has not been responded to by the existing Executive of UCSA. This is another breach of the UCSA Constitution. It related to the ongoing prevalence of a drug at the Huntsoc meetings. These persons have firearms licences and are acting irresponsibly. Good time to commence the debate about access to the Conservation Estate given the increasing number of tourists needing to know it is safe and they don’t have to worry about being scoped and shot at by irresponsible youth, including Huntsoc members, with high powered rifles.
H Best place and country visited Savuti Channel, Chobe National Park, Botswana. Imagine waking up in the morning with a pride of lions equidistant from your tent to the bush toilet and having them chasing Zebras around your tent repeatedly in the night. As a friend of mine says if you are not living on the edge you are taking up to much room.
I Occupation Self-employed Quantity Surveyor/Mediator/Arbitrator/Contractor and Health, Safety and Environmental Advisor
J Favourite jobs. Working with John Cleese for a week on a Monty Python film and guiding and driving tourists around Europe at high speed and Africa at slow speed.
K There have already been a number of irregularities and to President “two pay packets” I ask if I can produce a legal opinion that states this second attempt at an election is “invalid” would you resign then? The other candidates are of course expected to comment and wade into the political fray.
L Some of the candidates aren’t even here so I cant even walk up to them and ask them a question or two
M If elected would use the first second pay-packet to purchase a baby changing table for the solo parents whom expressed concern to me about the lack of this facility.
N The oft heard concern is that the international students want to “party with Kiwis” and this needs to be addressed. So a good way to get involved would be to join Maorisoc as they are putting on a Hangi soon and need volunteers to help. Good way of learning about Maoridom and this wonderful cooking method Get to meet people prepare food and then eat and party.
O As to political correctness. Gone too far at U C. This recent supposed Ensoc issue. The supposed independent chair of the meet the candidates meeting during the first election when asked to clarify his question in relation to Ensoc by one of the candidates blankly refused. This gentleman has been asked via the offices of his employers to stay out of this election. With the limited knowledge I have it looks like the University have bullied the Engineering Society. Bullying is not tolerated at education institutes anymore. If elected there would be a fancy dress day with huge cash prizes and I ask all the Ensoc members to wear there Ensoc emblazoned regalia/attire on the second day back after break Please. The following if elected fancy dress day will be called a “Section 14 of the Bill of Rights Day” Followed by a pissup at the temporary Foundry. The current executive have hung Ensoc out to dry
P The state verses the church has long been debated. My view is that this University is a state owned, paid for and run education institute. As to the role of the various churches at U C. Please go into the James Hight library and ask at the librarians at the counter to view some religious texts. You will find you are being directed to the Fiction (google that word please) part of the library. As to the Virgin Mary having a baby boy. Yeah Right. I do invite those of the religious persuasions to join the debate. As we have many construction opportunities commencing including the Foundry Complex I invite the various religions on campus to join the debate and tell all of us if you feel that by the University of Canterbury has discriminated against you by not providing places to meet and pray. Do you feel it is appropriate to have the call to pray sounded out on this state owned and operated University of Canterbury campus at the times you are normally called to prayer?
Q The current executive have had approaches and offers of help from the N Z University of Students Association but don’t return calls or answer emails. UCSA is in need of help and all the voters need to know this help is available and being refused. We are out on a limb conducting our second election and our executive are refusing to show all 12,000 members the legal opinion they claim to have but wont let us candidates see it either so we can comment on it We don’t even know who issued it IF AT ALL. You other candidates should be asking for this possible/supposed opinion too but are you complicit in this situation?
R Lawsoc should be screaming out for this possible/ perhaps/ unsighted/ from an unknown source/ possibly doesn’t exist opinion so you can show you have an opinion. What is the point of being a Lawyer if you don’t have an opinion? On the subject of the recent Lawsoc elections. The Lawsoc executive formally and repeatedly refused to provide candidate details and positions sought for. However the incumbent executive who were putting themselves forward for re-election were privy to this information. That enabled these very few people to see what positions were being contested, in what strength and those positions for which no applications had been received for. So if you really wanted to get on unopposed as an existing executive member then all you had to do is look at the information the executive has and were withholding from the balance of the membership i.e the majority and nominate accordingly. The appalling part of this is that the voters were not permitted to question the candidates simply because we did not know who they were. When I discovered this situation I emailed the members of the existing executive as these names were known and got a range of responses. Some of the responses in relation to honesty were different from what you would find in most dictionaries. So armed with this information I attended the AGM and not one of the candidates would take questions from the voters. Some of these now elected candidates could well be members of the Klu Klux Clan and were protected by the executive from voter questioning by the sitting, in full view executive. One of whom was extremely extremely fortunate enough to get elected unopposed . Other candidates comments encouraged please.
S There are no provisions for scrutineers to be able to watch the votes being counted in the second UCSA Executive elections. This is shocking. The returning Returning Officer who is responsible for the returns cannot be trusted. I encourage as many as possible to vote at the UCSA offices and take a photo of the voting paper so you can turn up after voting closes and ask where your vote was recorded. Don’t be fobbed off. Get hard.
T Abortion. My view on the U C counsellors telling female students who get up the duff at university to proceed with an abortion is that the first phone call should be to the father and then to both sets of parents. It should not be up to a Crown owned entity like U C to get involved in this at all. This would enable the new father to put two hundy a week in his budget for child support. Please send this candidate day 1 update to your parents and grandparents and see whether or not they want to be involved in the decision as to whether or not they want to be grandparents and great grandparents?
U Normal place of residence Ohope Beach in the Eastern Bay of Plenty
V Next set of footsteps from behind belonged to outgoing U C S A President “two pay packets” Discussions in the past have led to misunderstandings and she advised she had emailed me as a result of her phoning me on Wednesday and upon checking this email has not been received by me. What I can say is that I spoke to the President at “O” week on Ilam field and told her that a previous election had had candidates on the voting papers that were not registered in accordance with the election requirements and received votes despite telling the then Returning officer and the then UCSA President then that these irregularities existed. Plus I left a note for the successful Presidential candidate about this. WOFTAM. There is a formal question with our President about her overdue resignation and the Vice President has a formal request in his possession to take over. Someone loan Luke a laptop please.
W I will advocate for the earthquake repairs to be commenced to the ADULT student’s room and have tea, coffee and a fridge etc facilities installed now that we have been kicked out of our normal child friendly accommodation by U C
X The speech by the leader of my Parliamentary wing of the New Zealand of the N Z Labour Party Mr Andrew Little was well attended and the received apology was received with joy. The frank discussion afterwards between us was just that frank. Had hoped he would make a substantial campaign contribution but not forthcoming was Andrew.
Z If elected the ponderous consultants will be given 5 working days to call for expressions of interest from suitably experienced demolition contractors to get rid of the old foundry. It is obvious it is in the way of progress. It does not take 8 years to demolish and replace a two storeyed building.
That’s it for day one voters UC Student 86829284 E & O E
Gordon J Dickson AAMINZ
Any responses can be dropped off at UCSA Reception thank you
It is your future please get out and vote for your own future