Current and former Arts and Science Students’ Union executives forced Victoria University camera crew from a council meeting Monday evening, citing non-existent legislation. The open meeting saw the council vote on forming ASSU’s impartial election committee and a panel to review its constitution.
According to VUTube president Doug Sarro, Sheila Hewlett, one of the two remaining ASSU execs from those elected last year, approached the camera crew before the began to warn them that ASSU bylaws prohibit filming without unanimous consent. Sarro, who had access to the bylaws and constitution, found that no such provision exists, and he stayed put.
“As the location of yesterday’s meeting was never released on ASSU’s website, VUTube’s coverage would have been the only opportunity for ASSU’s thousands of fees-paying members to observe what happened at that meeting,” he added.
The crew filmed for half an hour, documenting debate over the meeting’s agenda without complaint. However, before the meeting could move past procedural issues, execs told the chair to refer the matter of the filming to council.
One council member said she did not want to be filmed but did not mind audio recording. Sarro offered to omit the images of anyone who did not approve of being filmed. The chair, suggested that the matter be left between the media and those who declared discomfort, but Hewlett interjected, “If anybody is uncomfortable being filmed, we’re not filming this.”
Following objection from two members, including former ASSU exec Krystyne James, the VUTube crew put the lens cap on their camera and continued recording the meeting’s audio. Minutes later James objected to being audio recorded as well. James is one of several former execs involved in altering minutes from ASSU’s previous election meetings, as uncovered by The Varsity last week.
James sought a position on the election committee, but withdrew after an ASSU staffer reminded the council that James had served on last year’s exec.
Hewlett said she had previously referred the matter of filming meetings to a lawyer, and been advised that media should have unanimous consent. She did not name the lawyer or the law involved. Under sustained pressure, the VUTube crew eventually left the meeting before the matter of elections was raised.
With files from Naushad Ali Husein
