Leaked documents from recent Ontario Progressive Conservative Campus Association (OPCCA) meeting have created opposition from the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS).
The documents detail workshops that discuss plans for defeating Ontario Public Interest Research Groups (OPIRG) and “keeping the [Canadian Federation of Students] off campus.”
The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) published a press release March 18 in response to the photographs, audio files and itineraries on Wikileaks that alleged the Tory support of the OPCCA and their strategies to “take over” student governments.
Chairperson of CFS-Ontario Shelley Melanson said there is no evidence that the documents are contrived.
“The legitimacy is pretty clear,” she said.
The sessions began in early 2009 at the University of Waterloo and were also held at the University of Toronto and Carleton campuses.
Facebook event invitations allegedly stated the sessions were in place to teach students how to “carry the Conservative flag on campus.”
After reviewing the documents, Melanson said the sessions discussed ways the OPCCA could siphon money off student unions by creating multiple front groups.
“Sometimes you can’t attach the party’s name to something,” said Ryan O’Connor, former vice-president of the Waterloo Federation of Students, identified by the Ryerson Free Press in a leaked audio file at a training session.
“You want to be careful. You just have your shell organization and have the Campus Coalition for Liberty and two other Tory front groups which are front organizations. All of those groups might actually qualify for funding too.”
President of the OPCCA Eric Merkley agreed the sessions occurred, adding only that the OPCCA is not dependant on student fees and hopes to eliminate those in place by the CFS and OPIRG.
“We’re not destabilizing campus clubs with a social justice mandate,” Merkley said. “We fund our own money and the CFS and [OPIRG] take fees from students for their own agenda and this is something we’re trying to get away from.”
Nevertheless, Melanson said the topics of OPCCA workshops discuss still encourage front groups and shell organizations.
“Student unions do not have a limitless budget and money that’s set aside for club funding is meant to benefit as many students as possible,” Melanson said.
Among those allegedly present at sessions was current Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) councillor and vice-president-elect (student issues) Nick Bergamini, who denied having anything to do with the OPCCA and the workshops.
“I don’t really know why [my name was brought up],” Bergamini said. “I don’t really want to comment because I haven’t been to any of the events.”
Churchill NDP representative Niki Ashton raised the campus-wide issue in the House of Commons debates March 24 asking, “Does the government condone the overthrowing of democracy on campuses by the Conservative party?”
The speaker dismissed her allegation as a party matter having “nothing to do with government responsibility.”
While Merkley said the CFS and OPIRG have “a vested interest in shutting out Conservative students to basically whip up a fear of a Conservative boogie man,” Melanson said there must be larger steps taken on behalf of the student unions.
“It’s the collective ‘us’ who will make a difference,” Melanson said. “It’s the role of students to assert the autonomy elections have and, where possible, investigating if there has been fundraising received by certain candidates on campuses. If there has, those candidates should account to that. It’s an unfair advantage.”