Student Politics (1 Viewer)

[Generator]

Uni election halted amid 'violence'

Uni election halted amid 'violence'
Lisa Macnamara
October 05, 2005


OFFICIALS at a Victorian university have ordered a halt to student elections and launched an investigation into allegations of intimidation and threats of violence.

The day before RMIT elections for positions on the university council and student union were due to finish last week, the independently appointed returning officer, Jamie Adam, stopped the campaigning when three of the main parties - the left-leaning No VSU and Active, as well as the centre-right Nexus - were caught up in allegations of threats of violence.

"It was too volatile a situation," Mr Adam said yesterday.

The Australian understands the three parties accused each other of threatening physical violence while campaigning at the university's Swanston Street campus.

"Given the environment, we thought it was best to shut it down," Mr Adam said. "But the polling remained open."

RMIT's director of student services Jane Stewart described the campaigning as "over enthusiastic, to the point where it's actually begun to impact on the democratic process".

"Students may have been approaching others, in ways, to get them to vote in certain ways," he said.

While the warring parties were reluctant to detail the nature of the allegations, RMIT's pro vice-chancellor, Joyce Kirk, told The Australian: "We are taking the matter very seriously. It will be investigated to ensure the integrity of the election process, both for the university and our students."

Student Union president Sridaran Vijayakumar said he knew only that the campaigning had ceased because of allegations.

"We were told the campaigning was going to stop and we would be notified at a later date," he said. "We don't know what these allegations are, because the university's not going to tell us, they're just going to inform us whatever decision they make when they make it."

Mr Adam said counting had been disrupted by the investigation.

Despite the disruption to the campaign, voting went ahead. But Mr Adam said the investigation remained an obstacle to counting the votes.

"It's a question of working out who's done what before anyone is elected, in light of this investigation."

It would be great if the issue was discussed without resorting to generalisations that paint student politics in its entirety, or just those on the left, as being inherently violent (some will, no doubt).

 

[walrusbear]

this one time the young liberals were doing nothing wrong and the lefists attacked them by throwing bottles at them!!

 

[leetom]

In univeristy elections, do Young Labor and Young Liberals stand in a Young Labor or Young Liberal university-specific party, or do they join things like Active and Nexus?.

IMO Nexus sounds the coolest. Much better than 'Active' or 'No VSU', as if you'd name your party after a policy.

 

[loquasagacious]

In general they run under non specific banners. Overall due to the fragmentation of university political groups the parties tend to be based around like minded individuals who may or may not be members of the same political group. Because of this the parties tend to be negative and pork barreling, it is much easier to unite disparate groups behind a we hate [insert howard policy here] than a I think we should do this [new policy]. Just to win they all tend to offer bribes in the form of cheap food etc etc.

The only party campaigning on a positive platform (eg presenting an alternative rather than clinging to the existing and denying the looming cough VSU cough) at the ANU was Pink Panther. To further their own negative campaigns the left parties alleged that it was actually a front for the (comparitively) right wing young labor group.

Overall I find uni politics disappointing in the extreme.

 

[Phanatical]

Election campaigning was halted because of Allegations of violence?? At USYD, there actually WAS violence, and the campaigning still went ahead!

 

[withoutaface]

Uni election halted amid 'violence'



It would be great if the issue was discussed without resorting to generalisations that paint student politics in its entirety, or just those on the left, as being inherently violent (some will, no doubt).

Those on the left are generally well behaved. Though I'd debate that on the far left the abusive and violent are in the majority, at least at usyd.

 

[walrusbear]

Those on the left are generally well behaved. Though I'd debate that on the far left the abusive and violent are in the majority, at least at usyd.

no way a majority of the left is 'abusive and violent' at usyd not even of the far left. although i remember that your definition of a 'violent' person was quite accomodating. i'd object to people who throw plastic bottles being called 'abusive and violent'

it's also worth pointing out that there are far more 'active left wingers' at usyd than on the right

 

[withoutaface]

I believe it qualifies as assault, hence violent.

 

[Z_Nizzle]

this one time the young liberals were doing nothing wrong and the lefists attacked them by throwing bottles at them!!

awwwww...thats lovely.

 

[walrusbear]

I believe it qualifies as assault, hence violent.

in the context of media it's deceptive
it demonises people unnecessarily

 

[ogmzergrush]

in the context of media it's deceptive
it demonises people unnecessarily

Yeah, people throw bottles at me all the time, and I'm all "hey that was fun, do it again, come around to my house and do it to my sister too!"

 

[Kafka]

Election campaigning was halted because of Allegations of violence?? At USYD, there actually WAS violence, and the campaigning still went ahead!

But that is because USYD is tougher than all the other unis. True story.

Was abused by a CHOICE handerer outerer type person. I informed them that I had already voted, but not for them.

They called me a fag. My. I was so upset. I didn't know what to do.

So I slashed the tyres on their BMW. Well actually I just walked away but it sounded better.

 

[Phanatical]

Henry Kissinger once said that student politics is vicious, precisely because the stakes are so small. But for those involved, there ARE no higher stakes. because while the stakes may Seem small, for students it very well could be the key to an entire career. Success at SRC can often mean a career in politics - perhaps even becoming Prime Minister one day. So when people don't vote for us (or even worse, abuse us or berate us), it may not seem like a big deal to most people, but it really feels like a personal attack. And in an emotionally charged situation like that, people can be pushed to say or even do inappropriate things.

 

[gerhard]

way to only get 60 votes you loser

 

[erawamai]

Henry Kissinger once said that student politics is vicious, precisely because the stakes are so small. But for those involved, there ARE no higher stakes. because while the stakes may Seem small, for students it very well could be the key to an entire career. Success at SRC can often mean a career in politics - perhaps even becoming Prime Minister one day. So when people don't vote for us (or even worse, abuse us or berate us), it may not seem like a big deal to most people, but it really feels like a personal attack. And in an emotionally charged situation like that, people can be pushed to say or even do inappropriate things.

the more intelligent ones that actually go on are the ones that are able to go hard at the task at hand while being aware of the big picture.

 

[Generator]

*bump*

Free speech on campus? Not for the right -

Shouting Down Abbott

*shakes head*

I liked the bit that had the socialist alternative's education offer responding to Steve Cannane's question with a "well, it's an abstract issue..." (or something to that effect) when Cannane threw the issue back into his face.

Though I may not be a fan of Abbott, I don't think that this particular 'protest' was entirely appropriate - that said, I guess that the approach makes sense when the group's arguments (as articulated by their education officer) quite clearly suggest that they wouldn't have survived a proper debate with Abbott.

 

[withoutaface]

Hahahaha this guy's a douche.

EDIT: Emailed the cunt:

Dear James,
Congratulations on once again proving what we already knew: that the far left on campus are a bunch of immature douchebags who can't defend their ideology when challenged head on. Personally I disagree with Abbott's stance on RU486 as well, but if he were to come to my campus I'd choose to actually speak to him about it, rather than shout him down in a childish stunt. Doing what you did just shows that you're afraid of view points which provide an alternative to your own being expressed, perhaps because you know that some people might actually realise that there are two sides to VSU, and the right aren't trying to implement it purely to be evil as you would have them believe. More to the point, if you were unwilling to listen to Minister Abbott's views, why was he invited to the campus in the first place?

Yours in Liberalism, Libertarianism and Freedom,
Justin Simon
Communications Director, Sydney University Liberal Club

 

[leetom]

Hahahaha this guy's a douche.

EDIT: Emailed the cunt:

we don't think right wing people...should be allowed on campus.

Anti-student, anti-women he claims Abbot to be, but this guy is anti-democracy. His contempt for freedom of speech is worrying, but I suppose is to be expected from radical socialists. Fortunately they are small in numbers.

 

[Phanatical]

Which James are we talking about?

 

[Enlightened_One]

Success at SRC can often mean a career in politics - perhaps even becoming Prime Minister one day. .

And, based upon what I know the majority of these people, it will probably be a sad day indeed when one of them (especially an ex-young Liberal) runs the country. The actual decent ones a person could respect probably do not stand a chance because of the very fact they are decent.