University of Saskatchewan Students' Union By-Election

The University of Saskatchewan Students' Union is having a by-election to replace their former President, Evan Cole. Mr. Cole resigned under pressure from the other members of the USSU Executive due to his decision to write an affadavit in a lawsuit filed against the USSU surrounding the referendum on joining the Canadian Federation of Students. Speaking of said lawsuit, I have obtained the court documents that have been filed by the various parties:

• Brief filed by the Plaintiff [PDF], Robin Mowat
• Brief filed by the Defendant [PDF], the University of Saskatchewan Students' Union
• A motion filed by the Canadian Federation of Students[-Services] [PDF] to add themselves to the lawsuit

Update on Evan Cole Resignation

Joey Coleman has obtained the following resignation letter from Evan Cole, ex-President of the University of Saskatchewan Students' Union:

 

Evan Cole Resigns from USSU Under Pressure

Joey Coleman reports that Evan Cole, recently elected President of the University of Saskatchewan Students' Union, has resigned, following a narrow decision of USSU Council to call for his impeachment from office.

I blogged on the controversies surrounding the USSU referendum on joining the Canadian Federation of Students in May 2006. Evan Cole, then a Vice-President of the USSU, had campaigned against joining the Federation at the time.

The Smoking Gun

Click to download: Gavin Gardiner's Notebook [PDF]

Odds are, most readers of this blog are not familiar with the great controversies that surrounding the University of Saskatchewan Students' Union over the past year. Briefly stated, the organization applied for prospective membership in the Canadian Federation of Students in November 2004; they postponed their referendum after receiving legal advice that such a referendum would violate USSU bylaws; they attempted to merge USSU and CFS policies [PDF] by ordering the results of the referendum subject to the ruling of the USSU Elections Board; students voted 55% in favour of joining the CFS; the Elections Board overturned the referendum, citing numberous problems; and most recently, USSU Council ignored the decision of their Elections Board and accepted membership in the CFS.

And in the process, it was discovered that a number of pages of President Gavin Gardiner's notebook had been taken, scanned, and distributed to the public at large. This was noted in The Sheaf, and at a meeting [PDF] of the USSU Students' Council. Furthermore, the debate noted in the minutes of that meeting goes a long way towards establishing the authenticity and reliability of the document in question:

"Member Mowat stated that everyone probably received the email from the unknown source that had a bunch of information from President Gardiner’s book.

Chair Thoma asked President Gardiner to clarify this issue for people who did not receive the email or read the Sheaf.

Member Mowat stated he brought this up because of the article in the Sheaf and one of the councilors said to ignore this. I would like some clarification on some of the goals in President’ Gardiner’s stolen notebook. What kind of meeting was this? Was there a meeting at all? What do some of these comments meetings mean? I understand that there is a referendum here to join CFS but I am concerned that student money is going towards a goal to get UBC out of CASA to switch our health plan. President Gardiner stated that in the paper some of these goals were forged, and some were real, he didn’t want to go into this because it was personal. I am uncomfortable as a student paying his salary to spend time doing some of these activities, if he was at all. I would like an explanation.

Councilor Mitchell stated she does not want President Gardiner to have to defend himself right now. I don’t think this is appropriate considering it is under criminal investigation about how this information was obtained. It is offensive that our intelligence is being questioned as councilors. I would encourage President Gardiner not respond unless he chooses to.

President Gardiner stated he is going to stay away from the specifics. If Member Mowat wants to talk to me one on one I will do that. The fact at hand remains that my notebook and I have written lots of things down that are not necessarily my own opinion. A lot of this was taken completely out of context and I don’t think it is appropriate for me to explain a stolen notebook at a public forum.

Member Forbes asked if this Planning Session went ahead?

President Gardiner stated he was at a meeting and there were MSCs and lots of other people there besides me."

Please note that Mr. Gardiner never disputed the authenticity of the document in question. Further, please note that Mr. Gardiner's 'defense' consisted of his stating that many of the notes recorded in the notebook were not his "own opinion." In stating this defense, he implicitly admitted that they were, nonetheless, things that were discussed - by someone, at least.

So what's in the notebook? Here are some relevant extracts:

* NSHN talk to Tom
* GSA, USSU & URSU Health Plan Policy
* internal McGill levy
* time line for McGill
* Dastageer [sic] about Phil Ollete [sic]
* meeting w Don Rossick
* CAUT referendum
* Meshon and website
* Control voter turnout + demographics
...
Planning Session July 25/05

2004/05 Goal Review

1) Prospective by November
2) Full membership by May
3) Electing good slates for 05/06
4) Withdrawing from CASA
5) Stopping other members from joining
6) Purging bad staff
7) Replacing w good staff - CFS
8) Getting local 10 back
9) Getting UBC out of CASA / GM
10) Getting U of M and U of R out of Campus Advantage
11) Getting everyone out of Amiccus
12) Use CCSA to our advantage
13) Long term CUTS lease
14) Switching health plans & laying ground
15) Stoping [sic] Buckmank's [sic] expansion into SIAST
16) Phones for students
17) Shit from 03/04
18) Undermine Council

2005/06 Goals

1) USSU Website
2) Health Plan
3) Handbook
4) Elections
5) AMICCUS-C
6) McGill
7) Staff

......

* Get Premier to mention CFS

U of S referendum dates
Campaigning begins Sept 19
Voting
....
Education
1) Resign outright
2) Resign & S.A.C.
3) Stick it out until end of Sept.
4) Ignore
...
Staff
* Student hiring committee (talk to UMSU)
* develop list
* get out bad staff

Get Evan to resign? Angela - 613-612-4780

(Links and emphasis added.)

Very interesting, no? The goal "Use CCSA to our advantage" has certainly been corroborated by previous posts on this blog, but what about the other goals? And is there any evidence that similar strategies have been in place at other students' unions?

Also, what is this about McGill? Are they referring to the Post-Graduate Student Society of McGill, or the (undergraduate) Student Society of Mcgill University? And what sort of "internal levy" are they planning?