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    The Translink Commission released a decision on how to implement the YVR Add Fare a couple of hours ago.

    Translink had originally applied to the Commission to introduce a $2.50 levy, to be collected each time a passenger were transporting between the Bridgeport and Templeton stations. The Commission, citing the “awkwardness” of the two-way fare, and that the fare did not adequately target air travelers alone, approved a new scheme which includes fare exemptions for non-cash fare media and creates a single $5.00 fee to leave the airport.

    Translink Commission rules on scheme to levy the YVR Add Fare, as exempt many passholders.

    One such non-cash fare media is the U-Pass. Others include FareCard, FareSavers, and other non-cash fare media at any station or other point of sale.

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    A copy of the petition currently being circulated made it’s way into my hands. There are six questions being asked:

    1. The removal of Blake Frederick
    2. The removal of Tim Chu
    3. Creation of a $5.00 “Engagement Levy”
    4. A code change to implement slates
    5. Indexing all non-indexed AMS fees to CPI
    6. Amending the bylaws to separate the director and officer status of executives (so Council can effectively impeach).

    Questions 1, 2 and 6 were expected. Although questions 1 and 2 will come in to effect once another executive would be elected, its only real effects will be to bring out angry mobs to express their moral outrage, hopefully driving turnout through the roof for question 6, which would fix the problems we covered earlier.

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    Province Announces Review of Society Act

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    For the first major time since 1977, the Province will be conducting a review of the Society Act.

    The Society Act is the legislation which the AMS exists under. There are similar acts in BC law which deal with other forms of incorporated bodies, such as businesses and cooperatives. Societies are incorporated not-for-profit bodies.

    From the press release, the review is being framed around two questions. First, if the corporate model is the best for societies, and second, the extent that societies are regulated.

    This is timely as the recent legal opinion on the Society Act and AMS bylaws makes Students’ Council impotent, unable to keep the AMS executive accountable.

    The AMS is one of the largest societies in BC and is one of the only ones with mandatory membership, and hence mandatory fees.

    The deadline for submissions is April 1st, 2010.

    Press release
    Government website

    Davis’ Opinion, Meeting Agenda Changes

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    Council just released the follow up legal opinion from Davis LLP, clarifying what is and is not allowed regarding the impeachment of student executives.

    Agenda changes as a result:

    1. Removal of impeachment motion.
    2. Inclusion of motions to censure.
    3. Opportunity for Blake and Tim to take floor.
    4. Discussion of other executives who signed off on contacts and cheques.

    Some numbers regarding public commentary on the issue of impeachment versus continued service. I’ve left out anonymous people/groups.

    Impeachment Continued Service Please Grow Up No Comment / Neutral
    Facebook Groups 1369* 464*
    Student Groups AUS, SUS, EUS, Ubyssey Editors, Campus Conservatives Resource Groups FairVote Friends of the Farm, V-DAY
    Regular Commentators Yonson, Lougheed, Naylor**, Costeloe**, Dovjenko** Ferrari-Nunes Yang
    Irregular Commentators Spectator (less Yang), Social Capital, Chanelle Pullman (UVSS) Many
    * Numbers counting only those belonging to UBC, Vancouver and (empty) networks (+/- 5%).
    ** Voting members of AMS Council.

    Of interest, when we compare those who supported Blake in his election to current position, Pudar of Spectator went to impeachment and FotF/V-DAY went to neutral. Lougheed/Naylor together as RBT supported Monegro over Frederick. Constituencies were silent during the election.

    It should also be noted that the AUS, SUS and EUS votes do not whip their AMS representatives, but will likely be reliable indicators as to how those sixteen votes may swing.

    Be sure to watch the live-stream of the special council meeting tomorrow. It is rumored the Ubyssey will have a live panel starting prior to the meeting proper at 4pm, so tune in ’round 3pm! The panel may include at least one of the writers for Insiders (this editor calls dibs, Yonson). Topics may include: predictions on outcome, national-stage perspective, arguments presented by both sides, political strategy, and the effect on the future. Should be exciting.

    Seen in the photo below from L to R are Andrew Fergusson, Marion Pollock, Natalie Bocking, Tim Chu and Blake Frederick. The photo was taken at a social event at the BC NDP Convention that took place from Friday Nov 27 to Sunday Nov 29.

    Blake and Tim at the 2009 BC NDP Convention last weekend.

    While we cannot confirm the exact time and date this photo was taken place, we have reasonable grounds (based on other photos) to believe it was the evening Nov 28th, the date of their impeachment hearing.

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    .

    We therefore call upon the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to investigate the widespread violation and disregard for international law in Canada, and further to employ all and every means available to pressure the governments of Canada and its provinces into compliance with the Covenant.

    This was written in 2005.

    You can read the whole complaint.
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    Update: Tonight’s Emergency Council Meeting has been moved to Hebb Theater to accommodate the anticipated levels of student interest. The start time is still 5pm.

    A letter to Council written by Tim and Blake was released earlier today regarding the special council meeting tonight at 5pm. In the letter, they state they will not be present at their own recall hearing, despite Blake promising this media and the Ubyssey that he will answer all questions then, and that he was looking forward to the debate.

    They speculate that any recall vote of the Council would illegal. What Blake is referring to is a discovery made last year about a conflict between the Society Act (a law that governs the AMS), and the AMS Bylaws. In short, the current understanding is that AMS Council cannot remove Blake’s rights as a director of the society, but they can remove his powers as President. After such removal of powers, Blake would have no more powers beyond that of a regular council member until a new executive comes into power, or a referendum removes him as a director.

    Further, they write that two other executives, Tom Dvorak and Johannes Rebane deserve to be impeached if they are as well, for signing a contract with Pivot.

    Below is their letter.

    Open Letter to Council regarding Saturday AMS Council Meeting

    We are aware that Council has called a meeting on Saturday to consider whether or not to ask for our resignations. Unfortunately, neither of us will be able to attend this meeting due to prior commitments. This point was made clear to Councillors when they initially decided to call the meeting for Saturday. The two staff members who we directed to work on the complaint will also be unable to attend. We will, however, be able to address Council at our regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, December 2nd at 6:00 p.m. There have been many allegations flying around and many questions such as: “Why the UN?”; “What effect will such a complaint actually have?”; and “What democratic process did you follow to file the complaint?” We strongly believe that Council should withhold any discussion of disciplinary action before we are able to clarify the facts around this issue and clearly explain the motives behind the complaint.

    We believe that students should be extremely concerned that some members of Council have indicated they will attempt to illegally impeach Executive members who are democratically elected by the UBC student body. Given the fractured opinions of students on this issue, we encourage those Councillors who wish to impeach us from our elected positions to initiate the proper formal and legal process by conducting a referendum.

    We also find it curious that we have been targeted exclusively on this issue by some Council members. It is important to note that we raised the topic of the UN complaint several times at our Executive Committee meetings and that VP Finance, Tom Dvorak and VP Academic and University Affairs, Johannes Rebane signed the contract with Pivot Legal Society to go forward with the complaint. We believe that if any call is made for our resignations, they must be coupled with a call for the resignations of Tom Dvorak and Johannes Rebane.

    We both appreciate the seriousness of the current situation and will be prepared on Wednesday to give a full account of the facts.

    Signed,

    Blake Frederick
    President
    Alma Mater Society of UBC Vancouver

    and

    Tim Chu
    VP External
    Alma Mater Society of UBC Vancouver

    Source: http://www2.ams.ubc.ca/index.php/ams/news/letter_to_council/

    The AMS, along with former VP Administration Tristan Markle, is complaing about the BC and Canadian governments to the United Nations. They claim:

    both levels of government have failed to:

    – control tuition fees,
    – provide sufficient financial support to students in need, and
    – provide adequate funding to the post secondary sector

    Councillors we have spoken to thus far all seem shocked, as if this came from nowhere.

    Press Release
    Complaint
    Backgrounder
    Tristan Markle Affidavit

    Update:
    Georgia Straight coverage
    Vancouver Sun coverage

    Today we offer you a point/counterpoint on an upcoming resolution before AMS Council. We offered Tim Chu, present AMS VP External, to argue for and Matthew Naylor, past AMS VP External and current Arts Councillor, to argue against the resolution: “AMS Council should have non-voting equity seats”. This is Matt’s response, for Tim’s, visit here.

    Every word over the 750 word-count we told them to stay under has been greyed for fairness. Enjoy.

    At the November 18th meeting of AMS Council, on the table will be a motion to create a non-voting seat for students with disabilities. While this is a well intentioned motion, it is not the right one in terms of furthering the interests of students with disabilities. I urge Council to defeat this amendment.

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