April SSMU Referenda Results

Online voting and QPIRG existence questions pass

16 Apr, 2012 7:11

Written by Dan Novick

The results of the SSMU Referenda were announced on April 16th. They are as follows:

1) Question on online voting for SSMU GA: No: 722 (16.1%), Yes: 3298 (73.5%), No opinion: 467 (10.4%)

2) Question on QPIRG Existence and Fee: No: 1778 (39.6%), Yes: 2560 (57.1%), No opinion: 149 (3.3%)

Voter Turnout: 21.7%

Thus, all resolutions passed at the General Assembly must be then submitted to an online vote for ratification with a quorum of 10% of the student body. If the online voting question had not passed, the GA would have remained the highest governing body of SSMU.

The question on QPIRG Existence and Fee divided the student electorate. The Yes Committee argued that “without this affirmation of student support, QPIRG will lose its funding and its lease, and the incredible work QPIRG does will not be able to continue. The No Committee cited many reasons for their opposition to QPIRG. Amongst them included QPIRG’s support of Tadamon!, an anti-Israel organization, and their support for the 6th floor occupation of the James Administration building. They urged students to “demand that student money not be wasted on political causes which students do not support.”

This latest QPIRG referendum comes on the heels of the administration refusing to recognize the results of the fall QPIRG referendum, which passed by 65%. Students occupied the 6th floor of the James Administration building for a week in February to demand that the administration uphold the results of the fall QPIRG referendum.

In February, the SSMU Judicial Board ruled the fall question to be unconstitutional, citing a lack of clarity and the fact that it included two questions. The revised question instead involved a single issue: whether QPIRG should continue to be supported by a $3.75 per term opt-outable student fee. Unlike the invalidated fall QPIRG referendum, its passing will allow students to still opt-out from the organization.

QPIRG Board of Director Amber Gross spoke to The Bull & Bear regarding the passing of the QPIRG Existence and Fee question. “We are thrilled to see that students turned out in overwhelming numbers to support QPIRG. It will make it much easier for us to exist and function next year and provide services to students.”

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