UC Pols (the Political Society here at the University of Canterbury) election today saw no bloodletting on the floor but votes were cast and at least one cast aside. Raises the possibility of even more ? Again again and again we find voting irregularities and already one re-held election here at the University. Have a guess what the white object is on the floor in the foreground of the below photograph is ? Where it should have been is in the hands of the vote counters but was it? Begs the question what happens now. Yet another election! Every vote is important n’cest pas? Seems the current theme of re-held elections will continue. On one hand the people of Canterbury dont get a vote when it comes to a Regional Council, simply fixed in my view, and here they are at UC disregarding and discarding them. I am confident the attendees at today’s election from both the University of Canterbury Students Association’s current Executive ( a very senior law abiding one to I might add) and the “LICE” scrutineer (set up for monitoring elections here at U C) whom was both present and highly visible at the election will have plenty to say.
P S It would be disingenuous to say in relation to the last election (the third one ) when if one examines the documents available to date one was all that was necessary. Yeah I know. I am awaiting a response from the University of Canterbury Council’s Vice Chancellor R Carr to an Official Information Request of some considerable time ago now relating to the election and despite the fact that they have the money, well over one hundred dollars, in advance and it will only take ten minutes to do a simple cut, paste and send I still await this simple request to be complied with. This is the second one and the first is with the Ombudsman. The first partial response had almost 60 blacked out areas in just a very few pages. Unless that is they decide to involve “Counsel” again. This Counsel has the dual role of “Counsel” and the “Scrutineer” and has been asked not to “destroy” the voting results despite the Council saying to the candidates and voters they will. The longer we all wait for the Official Information Act Response Numbered “15-55 ” and more than enough time has past (I should be getting interest) the greater the opportunity exists for the University to destroy the “raw” voting data. It could be suggested that if the Counsel for the University is needed to help re examine this election then he would have to stand down because it wont look good jumping from the floor of the court room into the witness box answering a question put by himself on behalf of U C and then jumping back out onto the floor of the court room to ask himself another question repeated as necessary! The successful candidate is also asked to comment but please tell us which of the two hats you have you are wearing when you respond
Disclaimer I have received a formal expression of concern that I have failed to “unidentify” myself from the New Zealand Labour Party and hence, this, in my humble opinion as a Life Member of the New Zealand Labour Party, disclaimer. It is akin to saying Richie doesn’t belong in the “All Backs”. As a result of this three of us are now about to face the wrath of the special “Constitution Sub Committee” of which only two have the right to appear???
Democracy or what?
“No Nukes” and UCPOLS Member and Voter
E & O E