MSA Elections 2011

[slothpomba]

Anyone else sick of walking around and being constantly bombarded with campaigners? The campus centre is infested as well haha. I actually walked around the campus centre to avoid them and on my way back i went through wholefoods, its a nightmare D:

Got any handy tips for ignoring them? (Especially Go!...they seem to have the most people by far and they're the most annoying as well..that and they've been in power for ~9 years*..)

They can get pretty heated as well. I was googling around and apparently a party "occupied" the current MSA presidents office for like 5 hours to try stop him from registering his party or something O_O These guys take it really, really seriously..(http://www.abovequota.com.au/files/Monash-Report-2009.pdf)

Some of those counterfeit i've already voted stickers would be pretty nice right now haha...

(Incase anyone is actually voting i'm probably considering switch->voice/connect first and second/third respectively and Go!/left action very last in my preferences)

*"which campaigns at Monash under the generic name “Go!”. Variations on the faction have controlled the union for nine of the last 13 years."(http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/08/25/monash-student-politicians-turn-feral-over-dirty-tactics/)

[scocliffe09]

Anyone else sick of walking around and being constantly bombarded with campaigners? The campus centre is infested as well haha. I actually walked around the campus centre to avoid them and on my way back i went through wholefoods, its a nightmare D:

Got any handy tips for ignoring them? (Especially Go!...they seem to have the most people by far and they're the most annoying as well..that and they've been in power for ~9 years*..)

They can get pretty heated as well. I was googling around and apparently a party "occupied" the current MSA presidents office for like 5 hours to try stop him from registering his party or something O_O These guys take it really, really seriously..(http://www.abovequota.com.au/files/Monash-Report-2009.pdf)

Some of those counterfeit i've already voted stickers would be pretty nice right now haha...

(Incase anyone is actually voting i'm probably considering switch->voice/connect and Go!/left action last)

*"which campaigns at Monash under the generic name “Go!”. Variations on the faction have controlled the union for nine of the last 13 years."(http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/08/25/monash-student-politicians-turn-feral-over-dirty-tactics/)

Wow that article was an interesting read. I empathise with your feelings of being accosted with concurrent guilt! I thoroughly enjoyed standing on the other side of the black line today, I have to say. Amazing what magic a line can do! We also had a lecture bash from a pathetic Go campaigner (not to say this is true of their other supporters) which made me feel sorry for him!!
I also think it's a bit unfair how no one discloses their political alliances apart from Left action, who don't really have a choice but to. It would also be amusing to see their proposed idea of parking lots of cars on menzies until parking fees are decreased go into action.

[taiga]

Voted for Switch, they have a no-harassment policy

+ they're not politically aligned which I think is a plus for me.

[slothpomba]

(Disclaimer: No, I don't work/campaign/hold membership in switch. Never been slighted by Go! either. I don't really consider myself left or right wing, i just go for whatever works. So, none of those things made me supposedly biased against Go!. Never even heard of these two parties before yesterday. All my views are based on what i've found.)

Yeah, i'd really recommend voting against Go!. They are by far the largest party with the most power. The largest, most powerful party winning 9 years out of 13 is sham democracy at best. We also have to remember the turnout at these elections is abysmally low. Go! by virtue of being the largest party has many people inside the party who would obviously vote for Go! and rope their apathetic friends into voting as well, its simply cronyism .

They make so many promises they can't keep as well.

They also accused someone of faking a disability and made jokes at their expense (http://www.vexnews.com/2008/09/sickness-slur-monash-left-guilty-of-attacking-rival-for-her-disability/). Problem is most students don't even know about this and they get sucked in by the sheer number of Go! supporters and promises they don't even have the right to make in the first place. I noticed, even though, most of the headlining switch candidates are international students, they didn't promise they would deliver a concession card for international students. Why? I reckon (my opinion only) that they realise its totally out of their hands and they won't make empty promises in an attempt to buy votes.

I was debating it with someone on my FB, ill post a little snippet of what i wrote:

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They've also near promised, quiet wrongly, international students concession cards for many years, something they have no direct control over. Same with parking fees and course costs.

They've also been involved in some pretty dodgy business ( http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/08/25/monash-student-politicians-turn-feral-over-dirty-tactics/

http://www.abovequota.com.au/files/Monash-Report-2009.pdf)

The proportion of international students holding headline campaigning positions for Go! is also disappointingly low. Considering they make up a significant portion of the university and fund our CSP places in part, i think they deserve a bigger representation. Switch achieves this.

Under a Go! leadership the Co-Op bookstore was also trading while it was insolvent (which is technically illegal) and eventually had to close due to numerous financial issues. Same with wholefoods, the prices have been sky rocketing under Go! management.

People affiliated with Go! have also attempted to censor the editors of lots wife (who were affiliated with a different faction) in the past.

More than enough reason i think.


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If you read lots wife they also recently hired an external manager that they debatably don't need. The salary advertised for the position is over $120 000 a year. That money could of definitely got the Co-Op back up and running or subsidised cheaper food in wholefoods for students but they decided they needed yet another external consultant to blow our union dues on. That isn't great management.

(When i said its time for a change they replied lets wait and see if this change will happen)
Haha and i know it won't happen. History has shown Go! almost always wins all of the time. Largest party and guess who the party members would vote for? The voter turnout at our student elections are abysmally low as well so its definitely a factor. I wish it would though or even that the MSA would be more balanced out with different parties or that Go! changed their headline candidates to include at least a couple international students but none of that is happening this year.

If you compare them to switch which has numerous international students (https://encrypted.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=monash+election+guide&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBcQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmsa.monash.edu.au%2Fcontent%2Fapps%2Fassetlibrary%2FMTAwNTU1NjU30%2Fmonash-student-election-guide-2011-final.pdf&ei=bZd4Tq7ILqqciAfC8LDUDA&usg=AFQjCNGCxp8E54AQgG4ABqVxsoLHU1cibA&cad=rja) as i said above, they have a disappointingly low number of international student headline candidates. Definitely out of proportion, my one hope is a lot of the international students realise switch might be a better choice and vote for them but we'll wait and see..

[scocliffe09]

What's the general vibe on Voice?

[slothpomba]

Haven't heard much about voice and i can't find anything about them in any kind of article or anything like that.

Maybe they changed their name from last year and used to be a different party, i'm not really sure.

Judging by the person who is running for Voice president, she is a supporter of the Jewish group on campus. Being jewish, fair enough i guess. That would probably make her pro Israel though, joining a club of that nature, so it would put her on the right in that particular respect. I suspect (and suspicion only) that the other people of her party are right wing as well. Well, as right wing as you can be at Monash. Which is what we'd probably call "center" in regular politics. Thats just all conjecture i pulled out of my head though.

I linked the brochure that includes everyone [impartial supposedly] (its the link that has Google encrypted in it), you can read it and try make up your own mind.

I hear Connect is right wing ish as well. Again, not right wing in the regular sense, right wing in the campus politics sense.

I grabbed one of their Voice's fliers, ill grab you a snap of it, give me just a tick....

I assure you their actual brochure is much nicer, don't let my crappy camera on my phone influence you much.







I like most of their policies, especially the educational ones. I don't agree at all with a train station near Monash though. For one, they have absolutely no influence over that and for two, huntingdale station is very close anyway. Train stations cost millions of dollars, it doesn't really seem justified to blow millions to shave 2 minutes off your trip.

However, a lot of their other ideas i agree with. Hell, i convinced myself even more to vote for them but im very unsure about them outside the brochure as well. I know switch has some cred. So, ill either mix it up a bit and put half of the positions switch and half voice or make one first preference and the other 2nd.

I like how they just don't advocate more drinking as well. Nothing against drinking, i enjoy it but i also understand a lot of students would be uncomfortable with it or feel pressured. Especially students who hold religious or cultural ideas that conflict with it. Its fine to have your drinking and i understand the time and place we're in but they shouldn't be absolutely bombarded with it either. Switch supports green week (the week where lots of people get excessively pissed around campus) free zones which i think is a good idea. Same with Voices halal/kosher BBQ's, sadly, vegetarians like me still get no free food but hey, work in progress.

[Mao]

Policies aside, I don't mind a few ambitious kids trying their hand at student politics. Hell, they could shape up to become our next political leaders.

What I am shocked by is how much money there is. Does the MSA publish an annual budget? (after a quick search, apparently not) I think students will have an entirely different perspective when they realise just how much money is being thrown around here, and maybe then they will give a damn about voting. From this report by the current treasurer, it seems the MSA is is running a $70k deficit this year, which is a lot of god damn money.

I wonder how much of the budget actually directly benefit the student, how much end up going into significant things, how much is wasted on ludicrous contracts from designated suppliers, and how much focus is placed on value-for-money. From the few reports published by current office-bearers, I don't sense professionalism and seriousness. I also question whether or not any other party can responsibly manage the budget, since very very few have the experience at managing a budget of that size at our age. And I have serious doubts about what the staff salary is like, and who really decides how much the salary is.

Honestly, to me, this system fucked. If anything, it feels like MSA's performance is confirmation that unions are fundamentally corrupt. (too strong? fuck unions.) Anyone pro-MSA feel free to enlighten me.

[slothpomba]

Policies aside, I don't mind a few ambitious kids trying their hand at student politics. Hell, they could shape up to become our next political leaders.

Yeah, a lot of the politicians we have today were involved in student politics.

What I am shocked by is how much money there is. Does the MSA publish an annual budget? (after a quick search, apparently not) I think students will have an entirely different perspective when they realise just how much money is being thrown around here, and maybe then they will give a damn about voting.

Even if there wasn't at much money being thrown around you probably don't want a union who does nothing (Some of the elected officials get paid too. The top positions like president, treasurer, ect) and they just use it as a free resume booster.

The budget might be huge but monash if the largest university in victoria if im not mistaken either. They can't run all the things they run on a couple hundred bucks. (Not defending them, it probably makes sense to have a budget of a largeish size. I haven't seen how big though so wont comment much).

From this report by the current treasurer, it seems the MSA is is running a $70k deficit this year, which is a lot of god damn money.

Thats why student politics is so attractive. Your "electorate" doesn't really give a shit. They won't hold you to task on anything. You don't have a ravenous media scrutinising you. At best you have the one student paper...the editor is also elected. In a decent victory, they'll be a member of the main ruling party as well.

Also, remember they are students most of them don't have any prior experience or idea at all. Not defending them again. 70k is pretty big. I blame Go! personally. They've been in power like i said for 9 out of the past 13 years. They've become complacent and used to power and theres no real accountability. Thats why i really would vote for anyone but Go!. Not to mention the whole co-op bookshop fiasco where they were trading while insolvent. The former bookstore manager even took his own life last year. While i'm not blaming the bookstore at all, that stress couldn't of helped.

I wonder how much of the budget actually directly benefit the student, how much end up going into significant things, how much is wasted on ludicrous contracts from designated suppliers, and how much focus is placed on value-for-money. From the few reports published by current office-bearers, I don't sense professionalism and seriousness. I also question whether or not any other party can responsibly manage the budget, since very very few have the experience at managing a budget of that size at our age. And I have serious doubts about what the staff salary is like, and who really decides how much the salary is.

Yeah, i agree with you there. We need some more measures of accountability. They do put money into some good things (social events, international students society, advocating for students if you get brought up infront of a disciplinary committee which is a big plus, ect) but it seems to me theres a giant black hole as well. The money just seems to kind of disappear.

Like i said they recently hired a $120k+ external manager (in addition to other external staff). This was the unions call, more specifically, the go! dominated unions call. Switch was heavily against this (they also are the elected editors of lots wife). Not to mention hiring an external company affiliated to the same party as them (labour left/green) to conduct the elections.

Its obviously rife with unprofessional conduct. Like i showed in some of the links, they resorted to insulting someone about their disability/appearance/ect during the campaign. They also tried to occupy another parties office in attempt to get him to not register ect. Its one big shitstorm. It needs cleaning up.

Anyone pro-MSA feel free to enlighten me.

Pro-MSA but not in the form its in now. I think a student union as opposed to no student union is a good idea. Am i happy with how its being run now? Hell no. Am i happy with all the cash they blow and the bullshit they come up with? Hell no again. What can you really do though. Short of running for office (which is probably an exercise in futility).

[Mao]

I think a student union as opposed to no student union is a good idea. Am i happy with how its being run now? Hell no. Am i happy with all the cash they blow and the bullshit they come up with? Hell no again. What can you really do though. Short of running for office (which is probably an exercise in futility).

Haha, exactly right.

What can we do? While I am still a Monash student, I'll try to see if I can get my hands on a copy of the budget, then distribute it to as many students as possible, including and especially the international students and prospective students. Maybe that'll make them think twice about buying a MSA card, or at least raise some serious questions/start some serious negotiations with how that money should be spent.

In one of the minutes of a meeting earlier this year, a requisition of $1800 was passed, titled 'CPU for finance manager'. Who the fuck has $1800 CPU? I don't think the student union budget has allocations for server-grade processors does it? This. This pisses me off immensely.

Yearly, ~$100k is spent on maintaining the John Medley library. The library is MSA-only, yet it receives funding from the university. What. The. Fuck. Do us normal students get to request funding for exclusive services like this? I want a chemistry-only cafe.

I want a revolution.

[scocliffe09]

I think a student union as opposed to no student union is a good idea. Am i happy with how its being run now? Hell no. Am i happy with all the cash they blow and the bullshit they come up with? Hell no again. What can you really do though. Short of running for office (which is probably an exercise in futility).

Haha, exactly right.

What can we do? While I am still a Monash student, I'll try to see if I can get my hands on a copy of the budget, then distribute it to as many students as possible, including and especially the international students and prospective students. Maybe that'll make them think twice about buying a MSA card, or at least raise some serious questions/start some serious negotiations with how that money should be spent.

In one of the minutes of a meeting earlier this year, a requisition of $1800 was passed, titled 'CPU for finance manager'. Who the fuck has $1800 CPU? I don't think the student union budget has allocations for server-grade processors does it? This. This pisses me off immensely.

Yearly, ~$100k is spent on maintaining the John Medley library. The library is MSA-only, yet it receives funding from the university. What. The. Fuck. Do us normal students get to request funding for exclusive services like this? I want a chemistry-only cafe.

I want a revolution.

From what I've heard they have a budget of $9 million per annum - so $70k doesn't sound so unreasonable. Still...

[scocliffe09]

Haven't heard much about voice and i can't find anything about them in any kind of article or anything like that.

Maybe they changed their name from last year and used to be a different party, i'm not really sure.

Judging by the person who is running for Voice president, she is a supporter of the Jewish group on campus. Being jewish, fair enough i guess. That would probably make her pro Israel though, joining a club of that nature, so it would put her on the right in that particular respect. I suspect (and suspicion only) that the other people of her party are right wing as well. Well, as right wing as you can be at Monash. Which is what we'd probably call "center" in regular politics. Thats just all conjecture i pulled out of my head though.

I linked the brochure that includes everyone [impartial supposedly] (its the link that has Google encrypted in it), you can read it and try make up your own mind.

I hear Connect is right wing ish as well. Again, not right wing in the regular sense, right wing in the campus politics sense.

I grabbed one of their Voice's fliers, ill grab you a snap of it, give me just a tick....

I assure you their actual brochure is much nicer, don't let my crappy camera on my phone influence you much.

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

I like most of their policies, especially the educational ones. I don't agree at all with a train station near Monash though. For one, they have absolutely no influence over that and for two, huntingdale station is very close anyway. Train stations cost millions of dollars, it doesn't really seem justified to blow millions to shave 2 minutes off your trip.

However, a lot of their other ideas i agree with. Hell, i convinced myself even more to vote for them but im very unsure about them outside the brochure as well. I know switch has some cred. So, ill either mix it up a bit and put half of the positions switch and half voice or make one first preference and the other 2nd.

I like how they just don't advocate more drinking as well. Nothing against drinking, i enjoy it but i also understand a lot of students would be uncomfortable with it or feel pressured. Especially students who hold religious or cultural ideas that conflict with it. Its fine to have your drinking and i understand the time and place we're in but they shouldn't be absolutely bombarded with it either. Switch supports green week (the week where lots of people get excessively pissed around campus) free zones which i think is a good idea. Same with Voices halal/kosher BBQ's, sadly, vegetarians like me still get no free food but hey, work in progress.

Thanks for the scan btw
Did a comparison of the different 'parties' today and cast my vote.

[slothpomba]

Who'd you guys end up voting for if you don't mind saying?

[slothpomba]

Looks like Go! have (provisionally) taken the presidency.

[slothpomba]

Just to wrap it up here are the results:

Provisional MSA Election Results

President: Esther Hood (Go!)

Secretary: Freya Logan (Go!)

Treasurer: Olga Lisinska (Go!)

Education (Public Affairs): Hiba Marfhour & Liam McDonald (Go!)

Education (Academic Affairs): James Campbell & Julia Ponte (Go!)
 
Welfare: Luke Nickholds (Go!)

Women's: Kate James (Go!)

Female Queer: Greta Baumgartel (Go!)

Male Queer: Wade Aulich (Go!)

Environment & Social Justice: Laura Riccardi (Left Action) (Won by left action by only 3 votes over Switch in the recount)

Activities Chairpersons: Bernadette de Sousa & Paul Ireland (Go!)

Lot's Wife Editors: Jamie Blaker and Melinda Bladier (Go!)

Monash Student Council:(Has a number of positions)
John Monroe (Go!)
Michael Ford (Go!)
Hannah Aroni (Go!)
Sarah Garnham (Left Action)
Liam Molenaar (Switch)

Student Affairs Committee:(Has a number of positions)
Sara Qunlan Waitzer (Go!)
Jessica Smith (Left Action)
Ben Zocco (Go!)
Zorro Maplestone (Go!)
James Frechtman (Go!)
Samantha Towler (Go!)
Mali Lewis (Go!)
Elle-Louise Atack (Go!)
Burhan Koc (Voice)
Josie O'Donohue (Left Action)
 
Women's Affairs Collective:
Sally-Anne Jovic (Go!)
Bianca Jewell (Switch)
Hannah Aroni (Go!)
Mali Lewis (Go!)
Samantha Towler (Go!)

NUS Delegates:
Esther Hood (Go!)
Rebecca Harrison (Switch)
Sarah Garnham (Left Action)
Imogen Sturni (Go!)
Jenna Amos (Go!)
Hiba Marfhour (Go!)
Shuyi Sun (Voice) [Won by 17 votes over Go! candidate]

 

Notes: Left Action is affiliated with Go!

 

Winning margin for presidency was ~60% (~900 votes)

 

Adapted from - https://www.facebook.com/groups/125463877548440/doc/151835581577936/