Four Carleton University Students’ Associaton (CUSA) councillors have had their voting privileges revoked for failing to meet the minimum requirements set forth by the CUSA constitution.
 
Councillors Nick Bergamini, Lydia Downing, Brad Hanes and Josh Nadeau will no longer be voting members on council, due to inadequate attendance.
 
Section 3.4 of the bylaw states: “Voting status is automatically lost upon absence from three consecutive meetings during the summer or fall/winter session.”
 
The issue was brought up at the CUSA council meeting March 31.
 
Nicholas Osborne, computer science councillor, brought forth a new motion more lenient than the present one.
 
“This requirement isn’t fair, especially for us in sciences who have busy schedules,” Osborne said. “I think we should change this requirement . . . and I also don’t agree with the way this was enforced.”
 
He said he felt that the bylaw was used for those in power to kick people off council they didn’t like.
 
He said he also felt that committee meetings are sometimes not well advertised because of difficulties updating the CUSA website and that the term “committee requirements” is too vague. As well he said reminders should be sent to councillors prior to committee meetings.
 
Carlos Chacón, CUSA vice-president (internal), felt differently about the issue.
 
“These are the minimum requirements to being a councillor and if they could not be met then why run?” Chacón said. “The rule is right there in the binders.”
 
Brittany Smyth, president of CUSA, said she agreed with Chacón.
 
“There is very little requirement to being a councillor,” she said. “I don’t think it’s necessary to get reminders. It’s the councillor’s responsibility to be at the committee meetings.”
Osborne, said the bylaw has not been enforced for at least the last three years.
 
“There are ways to fulfill your councillor obligation without sitting on committees,” he said.
 
Shewit Kalaty, vice-president (student services), was against Osborne’s motion as well.
 
“Everyone is clear when they run for council the responsibility it entails,” she said. “We’re all students . . . you need to recognize whether or not you can handle it.”
 
The motion was opposed, with only two council members voting in favour.
 
Osborne said he still felt, however, “it is unfair of the executive of CUSA to have the opportunity to interpret current bylaws to selectively remove councillors from CUSA council.”