Waikato a hotbed of corruption of student politics

Student Choice
Press Release

"Waikato University is again involved in a hotbed of corruption of the democratic process. In a recent meeting of the Waikato Students' Union (WSU), the compulsory Law Students' Association and the Vice-Chancellor and Assistant Vice-Chancellor and other minor pro-Compulsory reps, it was decided that if the outcome of the referendum on student association membership came out compulsory as the majority present hoped, then the recent campus wide election for the student representative position on council would be overturned and the President of the WSU who lost the council election by half the votes of the winner, could be appointed to the position."

"Despite heavy campaigning, not one of the three WSU candidates for University Council could could achieve more than half the support that the student body gave Mr M. Forbes who won the recent vote in a landslide victory. The student body gave the message loud and clear, it did not want any WSU related person on the university council."

"This vote was well advertised and held during term time and every student had a chance to vote. Conversley, the current referendum has not been advertised, is not being held in term time and few students will have a chance to vote. Further, it is unlikely that even a handful of students know that if they vote compulsory, their mandate for Mr Forbes will be ignored by University council and one of the candidates they overwhelmingly rejected will be instated instead."

"Yet again the WSU and the University demonstrate their total lack of respect for student mandates and expose their real political agendas and willingness to abuse power. Three times, Waikato University students have told the University and the WSU they want voluntary membership in record turnout voting numbers, they have clearly spoken on who they want as their rep on Council but nobody is listening."

Madeleine Flannagan is the regional representative for Student Choice and former 1999 Waikato Students' Union Vice President. She can be contacted on 09 836 7884

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