Failure to file
A failure to file an annual report with the Quebec government could be costing the CSU and its councillors. Last year’s CSU executive failed to file their 2007 annual declaration on time causing the Corporate Registry to put a notice of default on their file. The default carries a maximum fine of $50 per day until the situation is fixed, assessed both to the union and each member of council.
However because the CSU hasn’t updated the council list on the Corporate Register since the 2006-2007 school year, the councillors from that year are still considered to be the union’s legal board of directors and would be liable for the fine. They would also have to prove in court they are no longer members of council.
“I’m amazed at this. No one contacted me,” said former councillor Mo Shuriye, “I can say for certain that neither I, nor anyone from my year on council should have to be held responsible for this.”
But former VP communications Noah Stewart said the problem should have been dealt with. “All I know is that I turned this over to the lawyer and never heard anything back after that,” he said. “I imagine that if anything went wrong, any fees that would have to be paid would fall on the lawyers, because it was council’s mistake.”
CSU president Keyana Kashhvi agrees. “I noticed this was a problem when I came into office, and I dealt with this in June and made sure that we filed the documents then,” she said. “From what we’ve been told, these fees should be removed retroactively, now that we’ve filed.”
However these filings have not yet been noted on the Corporate Regi
stry, meaning the CSU and each councillor could be liable for fines of $13,100 each.
Calls to Revenu Quebec, who administer the Registry and would assess any fines, were not returned by press time.
Recall Petition Over Halfway
A petition to recall CSU executive has gotten 2,000 signatures, according to organizer Patrice Blais. “It’sgoing very well, the response is super positive.” If the petition gets the signatures of 10 per cent of students, around 3,800 people, a recall vote will be held. The CSU has described the petition as “filled with half truths,” “misleading” and “propaganda.”
Blais, a lawyer and Concordia student was interim president of the CSU in 2001-2002, receiving the position after then president Sabrina Stea resigned in the wake of a recall petition. Blais had been a vice president.
Potato, Bookstore and Bailout
The CSU is planning to bail out the People’s Potato. The free-lunch collective is currently facing a deficit of over $25,000. “We have actually approached the People’s Potato about giving them some kind of financial aid due to their financial difficulties, because we think this is a service students think is worth supporting,” said Elie Chivi, CSU VP communications.
But Chivi said the union wouldn’t be bailing out the Co-op bookstore, facing a deficit for the third year in a row. The bookstore has already received two interest-free $10,000 loans from the CSU. “We don’t think we’re going to be served well by simply bailing them out again,” said Chivi. “It isn’t sustainable to simply throw money at them without changes to the way the group’s business model is operating.” The bookstore also has another outstanding $10,000 from an anonymous donor.
SAF question to be pulled for good
The referendum question to cut funding from the Sustainability Action Fund will be off the next referendum, if the CSU executive has their way. CSU VP external Colin Goldfinch originally introduced the question at the October council meeting. “Student money should go to student projects, and right now it’s not,” he said at the time. But because the referendum was cancelled the question would have appeared at the next CSU election. The executive has now put forward a motion to rescind the original question.
“We’re pulling this motion back because after all of the discussions that have been carried out over this issue,” said Chivi. “It’s clear that substantial sections of the student population want us to help make this project work in its current form, and so we’re going to reflect those views in our policies.”
Visit theconcordian.com for news updates following Wednesday’s council meeting.
