U of T began the process of voting on joining Canada’s largest student organization this morning, as the campaign period for the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) referendum officially began.
The referendum is being run by a four-member committee composed of two CFS representatives and two U of T Students’ Administrative Council (SAC) representatives.
Emoline Thiruchelvam, the vice-president education at SAC, is one member of the committee. She said she is concerned the “organization of the referendum is lacking.”
A particularly contentious issue is the presence of CFS posters and buttons on campus. SAC committee representatives consider the materials part of the campaign. That would mean their cost should be deducted from the $15,000 spending limit imposed on each side in the referendum.
“Andrew [Tyler, the other SAC rep on the committee] and I were arguing that anything with the CFS logo on it was promotional material,” Thiruchelvam said.
“It might influence the vote,” she added.
The CFS representatives on the committee disagreed. “They aren’t materials that were developed for membership campaign,” said Lucy Watson, the CFS internal co-ordinator and a member of the committee. “Members of the CFS have the right to research, and distribute the materials,” Watson added. The issue was tabled for discussion at the next meeting, scheduled for Monday evening.
Thiruchelvam was also concerned that CFS committee members will be actively campaigning in the referendum, even though they are responsible for deciding what is fair conduct during the campaign period. “There should be some official neutrality,” Thiruchelvam added.
Thriruchelvam said she is dismayed that SAC’s equity commission gave $500 of student money to the pro-CFS side in the referendum. “I don’t see why SAC should fund them at all,” she said. The CFS’ 2002-2003 budget has $60,000 allocated for “membership drives and referenda.”
“I don’t have a problem with the organization [CFS] itself, I just have a problem with how the referendum is being run,” Thiruchelvam said.
Joel Duff, the Ontario chair of the CFS, said the rules surrounding the referendum are designed to ensure “a fair and democratic election.”
Duff denied the CFS materials have anything to do with the referendum campaign. Many of the contentious materials, like CFS buttons, were developed before the campaign and are distributed across the country. Duff said the materials “do not attempt specifically to influence your vote.”
“There’s some misunderstanding…. We can work through in a collegial, professional manner,” Duff added.
But last year’s chief returning officer for U of T’s SAC is concerned at the way the referendum is being run. “Most of the stuff is fairly straightforward,” said Mike Foderick, who is a SAC volunteer this year. But he said the CFS’ definition of what constitutes campaign material is too narrow. “Anything, really, that could influence at least one vote is campaign material,” Foderick said.
“I’m going to submit a complaint [Monday] morning,” he added.
Foderick is also concerned that paid CFS staff members will be so involved in the election. “They’re actually doing everything from watching over the ballot boxes to handing out the ballots,” he said.
“I was initially someone who was in favour of the CFS but the process has soured me,” he added. Duff said the referendum will be above-board and democratic. “We’ll let students decide in a fair and appropriate manner,” he said.
