RE: CUSAFE doesn’t target left-leaning groups
As a board member of the Ontario Public Interest Research Group Carleton (OPIRG), I felt it was worthwhile for me to respond to a letter published Feb. 6.
The letter was written by the president of the newly formed Carleton University Students for Accountability, Fairness, and Equity (CUSAFE).
Right off the bat, the only group that has been targeted and identified by CUSAFE so far has been OPIRG-Carleton—an organization that openly embraces its progressive roots.
I’m no conspiracy nutter, but it’s a bit odd that CUSAFE was founded the same week that OPIRG-Carleton announced its refund period.
If CUSAFE was anything more than a facade to attack and criticize OPIRG, I might find their lofty ideals admirable.
Last year, a small group of students pushed for a referendum to defund OPIRG-Carleton entirely. Despite their push, over 70 per cent of undergraduates who voted cast their ballots to keep OPIRG-Carleton’s funding in place.
The founders of CUSAFE know very well about this democratic result, as CUSAFE’s founders are the same people that campaigned to defund OPIRG last year.
CUSAFE’s letter suggests that OPIRG-Carleton is not accountable. If we review OPIRG’s record, you might come to a very different conclusion.
Last year, an overwhelming number of students democratically decided to keep OPIRG’s funding. If a referendum is not democratic enough for CUSAFE, I don’t know what is.
Every year, OPIRG-Carleton voluntarily hires an auditor to look through its books and records—which, by the way, is beyond the mandate of a non-profit organization in Canada.
As a member of OPIRG’s Finance Committee, I have overseen the fact that we as an organization have followed every recommendation that our auditor has given us.
In other words, our financial affairs are so accountable that our auditors no longer have anything to recommend for improvement.
OPIRG-Carleton’s financial records are available to all student-members. Moreover, OPIRG will be uploading auditors’ statements and annual general reports to its website from the last five years.
OPIRG’s executive directors are student volunteers. OPIRG’s governing structure is as democratic as can be, and every year we hold elections for students and community members to replace the Board of Directors.
I encourage you to ask questions. Because so far, CUSAFE has not reached out to us.
