NZUSA Co-President Election
I'll update this as the election goes...
PS. Emily wants me to mention her - she's hanging around like a bad smell. We hold VUWSA's 11 votes. WSU are being teleconferenced in. Actually, I hold no votes - I'm media, and therefore, obviously, impartial and unbiased. Also, I'm here because Jeremy basically begged me to come with him so that we could sit next to each other and giggle. He promised me there would be Internet pornography involved. So far, no sign, but I'll keep you informed of updates in that area. - Emily
10:20 Update: Shiju Pushpamangalam (WSU President) is going first. His presentation is slightly more swept up than last time, although he seems to have missed the point (or he's taking a long time to get to it...).
10:30 Update: Ok, he's got to his vision for NZUSA. A strategic plan?? What a cliche.
To his credit, he is actually able to articulate what a strategic plan is and what his would entail, whihch beats a lot of business people - not to mention the University! - Emily.
10:33 Update: He wants to lobby NZVCC!!! Good luck buddy.
10 points for enthusiasm though... - Emily
10:38 Update: Commitment to Te Mana Akonga - define tokenism? He also wants to change the name of NZUSA - despite the fact it's 76 years old. Inerestingly, he doesn't have any ideas as to what to change it to.
He wants a website! Maybe Jeremy and I could run it, given we are clearly awesome at this. And mostly unemployable. And not really fit for outside company, so should probably work side-by-side forever. - Emily
10:43 Update: Nick Kelly has turned up. Nice of you to join us, Nick.
It could be worse, Jeremy - your successor could have fucked off to Melbourne, leaving you to come to crap like this. Oh well, at least I get to open James' mail. - Emily
10:48 Update: Shiju has just finished. Questions now...
10:50 Update: From WSU: What is your stand-point on the Te Mana Akonga MoU. He fully supports the MoU, but fails to go into any details.
10:53 Update: From ISAW: What are the 3 main issues facing politechs? Funding. Views of the polys aren't taken as seriously as other institutions.
10:54 Update: From OPSA: At what point does the value-for-money exercise get in the way of removing the barriers of education? This is a mixed issue.
10:56 Update: From ASA: How do you see yourself instituting change? You have to seperate yourself from the committees you sit on.
11:00 Update: He's laying into his Vice President now, talking about how he doesn't understand that the Student Movement isn't what it was in the 1970's.
11:04 Update: Conor Roberts is up now. Much simpler and confident than Shiju.
I think Conor would be far better with the media. Like Salient. Or, you know, 3 News. That sounds kind of glib, but it's actually a really important part of the Co-Presidents' roles to be media-savvy and quick with a soundbite. Camilla in particular has been a very public face of NZUSA this year. - Emily
11.11 Update: Just when you think you like a guy, he has to go and say something like "ordinary New Zealanders". I thought he was the President of Young Labour! Disturbing National Party rhetoric coming through here... - Emily
11:14 Update: Conor is much more in touch with the New Zealand political climate than Shiju. He's going more into details regarding polytechs, fees, loans, and allowances.
11:21 Update: "NZUSA is a hub of relations... working with our Union friends." David Farrar will love that one!
Conor is doing a much better sell of himself as an altruist who really truly cares about students and issues pertaining to them than Shiju did. He's a bit more fresh-faced and earnest. Might be a put-on, but I'm totally buying it. - Emily
11:25 Update: How could you not vote for a guy who is prepared to stand up there and say "Politics is my life"??? - Emily
11:31 Update: Conor is answering all the questions well, with wit and knowledge. He's just given us a rendition of Tu Tira Mai Nga Iwi - very good.
11:34 Update: Conor has now left and we are voting.
11:40 Update: Votes are counted, the candidates are being called back into the room. We are waiting for Waikato to get their shit together.
And Pandoro's savoury muffins are officially da bomb. - Emily
11:44 Update: The results are thus: Shiju 20, Conor 52, No vote 1. Conor is elected.
posted by Aucklander At Large at 9:02 am
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