News

No scandalous revelations this week, folks. This week, all you get is the collapse of drawn-out, politically contentious OUSA project; Budget 2014; a referendum we’ve been waiting for years to hold; a proposal to change OUSA’s voting system at elections; and a laughable attempt by Fran to counter-bully the University. Meh.

Glaring pointedly at Critic, President Fran and Welfare Officer Ruby declared that they had held a “productive” discussion with Vice-Chancellor Harlene Hayne over the possibility of purchasing a North Dunedin pub, and that OUSA’s and the University’s interests and goals “don’t disalign.” I’m sure they don’t, darlings.

Next up, E-Sports coordinator and Critic Virtual Recreation Overlord Baz Macdonald announced that OUSA’s national E-Sports tournament had bitten the dust. This was because although there had been no shortage of entrants for OUSA’s regional tournament earlier in the year, people had been more intimidated by the prospect of a national tournament, and had not backed themselves to enter. The prospect of a national E-Sports tournament next year hinges on other students’ associations pitching in for their own regional competitions (unfuckinglikely), which would then feed into the national version.

So it’s farewell to E-Sports, for this year at least. Fran moved a motion to thank Baz for the work he’d put into the tournament. “That is the lamest thing I’ve ever heard,” Baz said, and left.

Next, the Exec discussed next year’s budget, and hooray! they remembered to move into committee of the whole this time. Anyway, the draft budget for 2014 is now open for consultation, and is available at ousa.org.nz until Tuesday 17 September. The University has shot down hopes of a three-year SLA, so the budget will contain the nice small numbers to which we’ve become accustomed at OUSA.

Students will FINALLY get a say on OUSA’s continued membership to the monumentally useless New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA), after Fran FINALLY came up with a question on the matter that wasn’t blatantly leading.

Fran then proposed a referendum on OUSA switching to Single Transferable Vote (STV) for OUSA’s elections from 2014 onwards. Basically: STV is a system where you rank your candidates instead of choosing one. It’s fucking complicated and opaque, but a lot fairer than what we currently have. You should probably vote for it.

Finally, Fran proposed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University over SLA negotiations. In a classic case of ooh-I-wonder-what-brought-this-on, the MOU would stop the Uni from using SLA negotiations as leverage to dictate OUSA policy. So basically Fran is asking the University to adopt an internal policy with no give-and-take on OUSA’s side, which would be completely unenforceable anyway since SLA negotiations are confidential. Um, good luck with that.