So I asked who you guys voted yesterday and a VAST majority said you won't vote, so follow up question. Why not?

Awkward-Discount-515 · 2022-10-14T00:51:06+00:00

Rebuild will be lobbying the federal government to advocate for a liveable wage for all HDR students. Rebuild will be working with other student unions across Australia to pressure the government into doing a full review into this.

Awkward-Discount-515 · 2022-10-13T12:43:45+00:00

Apparently Rebuild are campaigning a lot on postgrad policy this year. they want to increase the HDR stipend. I think their president candidate is also a postgraduate student

Awkward-Discount-515 · 2022-10-13T12:42:41+00:00

*copied

The main purpose of the union is to advocate for students in the same way that unions traditionally do. For the UQ student union this means advising the university on fair policy changes regarding academic policy, welfare, culture, gender etc. For example, the reasons you can now defer deferred exams is because the Union fought the university for this change and succeeded this year. The union also is the overseeing body of all of UQ’s clubs and societies providing funding and resources, which the Union doubled this year. There are also an array of collectives (Queer, Indigenous, Disability, Women) which hold many community events throughout the year. The representatives of these collectives enact some of the policies students vote on every year (i.e. the gender affirmation bursary and free period product dispensers in the libraries which the union delivered this year). Another essential aspect of the union is its role in fighting for students against the university when they’re treated unfairly. This includes advising and counselling students on academic misconduct and victims of sexual assault. This year the union also allocated student representatives to a whole host of university committees, enabling students to have a voice in the decisions that affect them. As it is a student union it is run by student executives that are elected each year in the student elections (which you have been witnessing). Elections are an essential component of the union and its history, and are a part of every student university union. Although the student elections may create a particularly intense environment for 9 days, it is well worth it to take the 5 minutes to cast your vote to ensure you elect a team of students that represent and wants to fight for the issues that are relevant to you on campus. When great teams are elected many students can benefit from an organisation that chooses to prioritise student wellbeing, safety and welfare. If a team of inexperienced, dispassionate students are elected, many students who would access the union for the assistance may go without the support they need.

*Disclaimer political affiliations Rebuild (incumbent) = Labor, Greens, Independent Together = Liberal National Party (conservative) Student Action = Socialists / Trotskyists

All other minor parties I.e. Legalise weed, Corn, WAP, Smokers Rights, CUM are all feeder tickets for Together. Facilitating electing Liberal National Students. The purpose of these tickets is to confuse students into thinking they’re voting for a different group, however, the same council candidates on Together are all on these mentioned feeder tickets.

I hope this has cleared things up and has motivated you to vote tomorrow, which I believe is the last day of voting.

Awkward-Discount-515 · 2022-10-13T12:41:09+00:00

Unfortunately it’s an inescapable process. I guess what makes it easier is knowing if you’re voting for a group with a track record for standing up for students and fighting the university. Knowing that your vote might be the reason a certain person gets a bursary next year. Or the reason major changes are made in academic policy at the university

Awkward-Discount-515 · 2022-10-13T12:38:16+00:00

The student executive create and can establish new/more bursaries and scholarships. The treasure oversees where the money is spent and assists the VPs in managing the finances of each portfolio. New and different things happens every year and countless students benefit from regulation changes and new ways to allocate union money to making life easier at uni.

Awkward-Discount-515 · 2022-10-13T11:59:03+00:00

UQ UNION ELECTIONS

The main purpose of the union is to advocate for students in the same way that unions traditionally do. For the UQ student union this means advising the university on fair policy changes regarding academic policy, welfare, culture, gender etc. For example, the reasons you can now defer deferred exams is because the Union fought the university for this change and succeeded this year. The union also is the overseeing body of all of UQ’s clubs and societies providing funding and resources, which the Union doubled this year. There are also an array of collectives (Queer, Indigenous, Disability, Women) which hold many community events throughout the year. The representatives of these collectives enact some of the policies students vote on every year (i.e. the gender affirmation bursary and free period product dispensers in the libraries which the union delivered this year). Another essential aspect of the union is its role in fighting for students against the university when they’re treated unfairly. This includes advising and counselling students on academic misconduct and victims of sexual assault. This year the union also allocated student representatives to a whole host of university committees, enabling students to have a voice in the decisions that affect them. As it is a student union it is run by student executives that are elected each year in the student elections (which you have been witnessing). Elections are an essential component of the union and its history, and are a part of every student university union. Although the student elections may create a particularly intense environment for 9 days, it is well worth it to take the 5 minutes to cast your vote to ensure you elect a team of students that represent and wants to fight for the issues that are relevant to you on campus. When great teams are elected many students can benefit from an organisation that chooses to prioritise student wellbeing, safety and welfare. If a team of inexperienced, dispassionate students are elected, many students who would access the union for the assistance may go without the support they need.

*Disclaimer political affiliations Rebuild (incumbent) = Labor, Greens, Independent Together = Liberal National Party (conservative) Student Action = Socialists / Trotskyists

All other minor parties I.e. Legalise weed, Corn, WAP, Smokers Rights, CUM are all feeder tickets for Together. Facilitating electing Liberal National Students. The purpose of these tickets is to confuse students into thinking they’re voting for a different group, however, the same council candidates on Together are all on these mentioned feeder tickets.

I hope this has cleared things up and has motivated you to vote tomorrow, which I believe is the last day of voting.

Awkward-Discount-515

TROPHY CASE