The
      Panther
      Prints
      6°
     
    
   
   
    
     
      March
      18,
      1997
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      CINDY
      VENEMA
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      On
      Sunday
      evening
      the
     
     
      Student
      Union
      voted
      to
      cancel
     
     
      the
      CFS
      referendum.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Canadian
      Federa-
     
     
      tion
      of
      Students
      (CFS)
      is
      cur-
     
     
      rently
      the
      Student
      Union’s
     
     
      national
      lobbying
      organization
     
     
      for
      UPEI.
     
    

    
     
      Last
      year
      the
      Student
     
     
      Union
      held
      a
      referendum
      to
     
     
      leave
      CFS.
      Their
      reason
      for
     
     
      this
      action
      was
      because
      they
     
     
      felt
      that
      the
      organization
      did
     
     
      not
      represent
      the
      needs
      of
     
     
      UPEI
      students,
      which
      would
     
     
      be
      better
      represented
      on
      a
      pro-
     
     
      vincial
      level.
      The
      referendum
     
     
      was
      over-turned,
      however,
      be-
     
     
      cause
      of
      voting
      irregularities.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Federation
      flip-flop
     
     
      UPEI
      SU
      cancels
      CFS
      referendum
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Now
      the
      Student
      Union
     
     
      has
      changed
      their
      opinion
      about
     
     
      CFS.
     
    

    
     
      “They
      are
      the
      best
      al-
     
     
      ternative
      for
      the
      present
      mo-
     
     
      ment”,
      stated
      Chris
      Grey,
      SU
     
     
      President,
      who
      saw
      no
      reason
     
     
      to
      get
      out
      of
      CFS.
     
    

    
     
      Chantal
      Theriault,
      Sci-
     
     
      ence
      Rep.,
      voiced
      her
      concern
     
     
      about
      the
      accountability
      of
      the
     
     
      Council
      for
      waiting
      until
      the
     
     
      last
      minute
      to
      discontinue
      the
     
     
      referendum,
      “It
      seems
      like
      a
     
     
      big
      mess-up,
      and
      I
      think
      we
     
     
      should
      bring
      it
      up
      at
      the
     
     
      upcoming
      general
      meeting,
     
     
      because
      we
      should
      be
      held
     
     
      accountable”.
     
    

    
     
      CFS
      representatives
     
     
      have
      already
      been
      campaign-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ing
      for
      a
      week
      to
      inform
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      why
      they
      should
      stay
     
     
      with
      the
      organization.
      Yet,
      no
     
     
      one
      was
      hosting
      a
      “no”
      cam-
     
     
      paign,
      or
      a
      campaign
      explain-
     
     
      ing
      other
      alternatives
      to
      CFS.
     
     
      Last
      year
      the
      anti-CFS
      cam-
     
     
      paign
      was
      run
      by
      a
      committee
     
     
      made
      up
      of
      Student
      Councilors
     
     
      and
      Executive
      members.
     
    

    
     
      In
      a
      previous
      meeting,
     
     
      council
      voted
      to
      take
      a
      neutral
     
     
      stance
      regarding
      the
      referen-
     
     
      dum,
      with
      the
      intention
      to
      run
     
     
      an
      anti-CFS
      information
      cam-
     
     
      paign
      separate
      from
      the
      Stu-
     
     
      dent
      Union,
      much
      like
      last
      year.
     
     
      No
      such
      campaign
      was
      ad-
     
     
      ministered.
     
    

    
     
      At
      the
      meeting
      one
     
     
      council
      member
      asked
      what
     
    
   
   
    
     
      has
      changed
      since
      the
      last
      ref-
     
     
      erendum
      to
      make
      council
      want
     
     
      to
      stay
      with
      CFS.
      This
      ques-
     
     
      tion
      was
      answered
      by
      Amber
     
     
      Allin,
      CFS
      National
      Executive
     
     
      Member
      and
      former
      SU
      Presi-
     
     
      dent,
      “CFS
      has
      changed,
      it
      has
     
     
      evolved”.
     
    

    
     
      It
      was
      Allin’s
      executive
     
     
      that
      was
      responsible
      for
      the
     
     
      original
      referendum
      and
      anti-
     
     
      CFS
      campaign.
     
    

    
     
      Allin
      also
      explained
      to
     
     
      council
      that
      CFS
      is
      working
      on
     
     
      a
      provincial
      component
      for
      the
     
     
      university,
      but
      “you
      can’t
      geta
     
     
      provincial
      component
      when
     
     
      you
      are
      fighting
      a
      referendum”.
     
    

    
     
      Another
      reason
      UPEI
     
     
      council
      is
      suddenly
      pro-CFS
      is
     
     
      because
      they
      have
      a
      broader
     
    
   
   
    
     
      knowledge
      base
      about
      the
      or-
     
     
      ganization
      now
      that
      a
      National
     
     
      Executive
      member,
      Amber
     
     
      Allin,
      is
      sitting
      on
      council.
     
    

    
     
      “If
      the
      UPEI
      Student
     
     
      Union
      is
      unhappy
      with
      CFS,
     
     
      the
      only
      way
      they
      are
      going
      to
     
     
      change
      things
      is
      by
      bringing
     
     
      motions
      forward,
      but
      they
      have
     
     
      not
      brought
      any
      motions
      to
     
     
      CFS”,
      criticized
      Allin
      about
     
     
      Council.
      oe
     
    

    
     
      "I
      can't
      believe
      the
      Stu-
     
     
      dent
      Union
      is
      canceling
      the
     
     
      referendum.
      Wasn't
      the
      point
     
     
      of
      the
      referendum
      for
      students
     
     
      to
      let
      council
      know
      if
      they
     
     
      wanted
      to
      stay
      with
      CFS
      or
     
     
      not",
      were
      the
      remarks
      of
      one
     
     
      student
      upon
      hearing
      of
      the
     
     
      councils
      decision.