March
      18,
      1997
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Opinion
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ei
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Panther
      Prints
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      On
      theCFS
      Referendum
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      STEPHEN
      DEGRACE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      When
      the
      issue
      of
      the
     
     
      UPEI
      Student
      Union’s
      me
      n-
     
     
      bership
      in
      the
      Canadian
      F.
      d-
     
     
      eration
      of
      Students
      came
      1
     
     
      last
      year,
      I
      took
      a
      (belat:
      d)
     
     
      interest
      and
      began
      to
      look
      ir
      to
     
     
      the
      particulars
      of
      the
      matte
      -
     
     
      My
      inquiries,
      quite
      ap:
      rt
     
     
      from
      making
      up
      my
      mind,
      only
     
     
      left
      me
      feeling
      more
      ambig
      1-
     
     
      ous
      as
      to
      how
      I
      should
      vote.
     
     
      On
      one
      hand
      |
      was
      disturbed
     
     
      by
      some
      of
      the
      charges
      against
     
     
      the
      CFS,
      but
      on
      the
      other
      hand
     
     
      I
      was
      also
      disturbed
      by
      the
     
     
      Student
      Union’s
      apparent
      lack
     
     
      of
      thought
      as
      to
      iat
      should
     
     
      replace
      the
      CFS.
      I
      remain
      con-
     
     
      vinced
      that
      national
      student
      or-
     
     
      ganisations
      are
      a
      necessity
      in
     
     
      our
      times
      in
      order
      to
      protect
     
     
      our
      interests
      in
      the
      current
      cli-
     
     
      mate
      of
      cuts
      and
      fiscal
      re-
     
     
      straint.
      Disgusted
      with
      both
     
     
      sides,
      I
      was
      one
      of
      the
      (as
      I
     
     
      recall)
      nine
      people
      who
      voted
     
     
      to
      abstain.
      However,
      having
     
     
      had
      a
      chance
      to
      observe
      how
     
     
      both
      parties
      have
      responded
     
     
      (or
      not
      responded)
      over
      the
     
     
      past
      year
      with
      regard
      to
      the
     
     
      points
      raised
      during
      last
      year’s
     
     
      referendum,
      I
      feel
      that
      I
      can
     
     
      now
      state
      an
      opinion
      as
      to
     
     
      which
      course
      I
      think
      would
      be
     
     
      best
      for
      UPEI.
      I
      chose
      to
      ex-
     
     
      ress
      my
      ambiguity
      publicly
     
     
      ast
      year
      in
      a
      letter
      to
      the
      Pan-
     
     
      ther
      Prints,
      and
      this
      year
      once
     
     
      again
      I
      feel
      the
      irresistible
      urge
     
     
      to
      vent
      my
      spleen.
      I
      would
      be
     
     
      most
      obliged
      if
      youd
      bear
      with
     
     
      me.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      will
      vote
      no
      to
      CFS.
     
     
      The
      reason
      is
      that
      while
      the
     
     
      CFS
      has
      shown
      no
      signs
      of
     
     
      addressing
      the
      concerns
      I
      have
     
     
      -with
      them,
      or
      even
      remote
     
     
      awareness
      that
      these
      issues
     
     
      are
      concerns,
      the
      anti-CFS
     
     
      party
      has
      quite
      adequately
      ad-
     
     
      dressed
      my
      concerns
      with
      their
     
     
      position.
     
     
      Inmy
      opinionthe
      CFS
      is
     
     
      a
      seriously
      flawed
      organisa-
     
     
      tion
      that
      does
      a
      poor
      job
      of
     
     
      representing
      students
      in
      the
     
     
      areas
      in
      which
      it
      has
      any
      busi-
     
     
      ness
      representing
      students,
     
     
      and
      actively
      mis-represents
     
     
      students
      in
      a
      number
      of
      areas
     
     
      in
      which
      they
      frankly
      have
      no
     
     
      business
      sticking
      their
      collec-
     
     
      tive
      nose.
      The
      CFS’s
      hard-
     
     
      left,
      strident
      “education
      is
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      right”
      knee-jerk
      response
      to
     
     
      the
      issue
      of
      tuition
      increases
      is,
     
     
      in
      my
      opinion,
      a
      poor
      long
      term
     
     
      strategy
      for
      getting
      the
      best
     
     
      deal
      possible
      for
      students.
     
     
      (And
      it
      is
      precisely
      these
      kinds
     
     
      of
      bread-and-butter
      issues
     
     
      which
      should,
      in
      my
      opinion,
     
     
      properly
      form
      the
      organisa-
     
     
      tion’s
      mandate.)
      I
      believe
      that
     
     
      such
      rhetoric
      only
      serves
      to
     
     
      disgust
      the
      average
      Canadian
     
     
      taxpayer,
      thus
      playing
      into
      the
     
     
      hands
      of
      the
      right
      wing,
      which
     
     
      would
      quite
      like
      to
      see
      us
      move
     
     
      to
      the
      system
      of
      stratospheric
     
     
      tuitions
      favoured
      by
      the
      Ameri-
     
     
      cans.
      The
      fiscal
      crunch
      that
      is
     
     
      causing
      governments
      to
      re-
     
     
      duce
      funding
      for
      public
      serv-
     
     
      ices
      across
      the
      board
      is
      a
      fun-
     
     
      damental
      reality
      of
      our
      times.
     
     
      Everybody
      has
      to
      help
      bear
     
     
      the
      burden;
      whining,
      however
     
     
      forcefully,
      that
      students
      should
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      opinions
     
     
      of
      students
     
     
      span
      the
     
     
      entire
      broad
     
     
      spectrum
      of
     
     
      political
     
     
      thought...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      be
      exempt
      will
      only
      destroy
     
     
      the
      very
      public
      sympathy
      that
     
     
      is
      currently
      indispensable
      to
     
     
      our
      long
      term
      interests.
     
    

    
     
      at
      really
      annoys
      me
     
     
      about
      the
      CFS,
      though,
      is
      their
     
     
      dabbling
      in
      political
      issues
      on
     
     
      which
      they
      have
      no
      right
      to
     
     
      represent
      their
      constituents.
     
     
      Quite
      frankly,
      the
      miasma
      of
     
     
      left-wing
      politics
      surrounding
     
     
      the
      organisation
      makes
      menau-
     
     
      seous.
      To
      take
      specific
      exam-
     
     
      ples,
      the
      CFS
      has
      chosen
      to
     
     
      take
      positions
      in
      favour
      of
      ac-
     
     
      cess
      to
      abortions
      and
      against
     
     
      the
      death
      penalty.
      In
      effect,
     
     
      they
      are
      saying
      that
      these
      are
     
     
      the
      positions
      of
      students.
      |
     
     
      don’t
      recall
      being
      asked
      at
      any
     
     
      time
      by
      the
      CFS
      how
      I
      would
     
     
      like
      to
      be
      represented
      on
      these
     
     
      issues.
      The
      opinions
      of
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      span
      the
      entire
      broad
     
     
      spectrum
      of
      political
      thought;
     
     
      although
      I
      am
      pro-abortion
      (I
     
     
      will
      not
      mince
      words)
      I
      re-
     
     
      spect
      the
      opinions
      of
      students
     
     
      I
      know
      who
      are
      anti-abortion,
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      FF
      EE
      EERIE
      FEL
      BABAR
      E
      OL
      I
      EI
      NIPCCE
      LL
      FP
      EPCES
      ELL
      IS
      SOCEM
      ELIAS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      |
      am
      angry
      that
      these
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      are
      being
      effectively
      mis-
     
     
      represented
      as
      pro-abortion
      by
     
     
      their
      national
      student
      organi-
     
     
      sation.
      And
      more
      personally,
     
     
      as
      one
      in
      favour
      of
      the
      death
     
     
      penalty,
      I
      am
      incensed
      that
      the
     
     
      CFS,
      of
      which
      my
      school
      is
      a
     
     
      member,
      dares
      to
      lobby
     
     
      against
      the
      death
      penalty
      in
     
     
      my
      name.
      In
      my
      opinion,
      this
     
     
      superfluous
      political
      meddling
     
     
      on
      the
      part
      of
      the
      CFS
      is
      a
     
     
      travesty,
      and
      one
      for
      which
      |
     
     
      have
      not
      seen
      one
      iota
      of
      re-
     
     
      morse
      in
      the
      year
      at
      least
      since
     
     
      these
      issues
      have
      been
      brought
     
     
      up.
     
    

    
     
      At
      the
      same
      time,
      the
     
     
      Student
      Union
      Executive's
     
     
      stated
      preference
      for
      CASA
     
     
      sets
      me
      at
      ease
      with
      regard
      to
     
     
      my
      concern
      that
      the
      anti-CFS
     
     
      party
      was
      thoughtlessly
      leav-
     
     
      ing
      us
      with
      no
      larger
      represen-
     
     
      tation
      at
      all.
      My
      major
      reser-
     
     
      vation
      about
      CASA,
      the
      crimi-
     
     
      nal
      allegations
      of
      embezzle-
     
     
      ment
      against
      their
      former
      act-
     
     
      ing
      president,
      have
      been
      ad-
     
     
      dressed
      by
      Chris
      Burns;
      un-
     
     
      less
      I
      see
      believable
      informa-
     
     
      tion
      very
      strongly
      suggestin
     
     
      that
      the
      contrary
      is
      true,
      I
      will
     
     
      take
      him
      at
      his
      word
      that
      there
     
     
      is
      little
      danger
      of
      a
      repeat
      per-
     
     
      formance.
     
    

    
     
      |
      My
      one
      criticism
      against
     
     
      the
      anti-CFS
      party
      this
      year
      is
     
     
      that
      I
      would
      like
      to
      see
      more
     
     
      information
      on
      what
      kind
      of
     
     
      perks
      CASA
      offers;
      the
      CFS
     
     
      (wisely)
      places
      a
      large
      part
      of
     
     
      the
      focus
      of
      its
      campaign
      on
     
     
      the
      perks
      it
      offers,
      soif
      CASA
     
     
      makes
      similar
      offers
      it
      would
     
     
      be
      a
      good
      idea
      if
      we
      were
      told
     
     
      so
      explicitly.
     
    

    
     
      The
      criticisms
      levelled
     
     
      against
      CASA
      by
      Amber
      Allin
     
     
      as
      quoted
      in
      the
      December
      3
     
     
      issue
      of
      the
      Prints
      profoundly
     
     
      failed
      to
      move
      me.
      She
      says
     
     
      there
      are
      undercurrents
      of
      elit-
     
     
      ism
      in
      CASA;
      seeing
      that
      as
     
     
      University
      students
      we
      are
      an
     
     
      elite
      of
      a
      sort,
      the
      allegation
     
     
      fails
      to
      alarm
      me.
      However,
      I
     
     
      do
      invite
      Ms.
      Allin
      to
      explain
     
     
      further,
      as
      perhaps
      if
      I
      knew
     
     
      what
      exactly
      she
      meant
      by
     
     
      “undercurrents
      of
      elitism
     
     
      CASA’s
      position
      on
      education
     
     
      rights
      that
      post-secondary
      edu-
     
     
      cation
      is
      a
      “necessity”
      as
      op-
     
     
      posed
      to
      a
      “right”
      does
      not
     
     
      strike
      me
      as
      an
      unclear
      stance
     
    
   
   
    
     
      as
      was
      suggested
      in
      the
      arti-
     
     
      cle.
      On
      the
      contrary,
      it
      strikes
     
     
      me
      as
      a
      suitably
      wise
      and
     
     
      moderate
      stance
      which
      is
      more
     
     
      likely
      to
      get
      us
      approximately
     
     
      what
      we
      want
      (given
      the
      cli-
     
     
      mate
      of
      the
      times)
      than
      the
     
     
      more
      radical
      stance
      espoused
     
     
      by
      the
      CFS.
      Rather
      than
      being
     
     
      concerned
      by
      CASA’s
      stance
     
     
      on
      this
      issue,
      I
      am
      encouraged
     
     
      by
      it.
      I
      like
      the
      idea
      of
      repre-
     
     
      sentation
      by
      population;
      I
      think
     
     
      that
      it
      is
      fair
      and
      that
      it
      is
      more
     
     
      likely
      to
      make
      people
      take
      the
     
     
      organization
      seriously.
      If
      an
     
     
      organisation
      has
      rep
      by
      pop,
     
     
      one
      may
      be
      more
      sure
      that
      its
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘pronouncements
      are
      truly
      re-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      flective
      of
      the
      opinion
      of
      the
     
     
      majority
      of
      its
      members.
      Even
     
     
      the
      allegations
      that
      CASA
      has
     
     
      been
      lobbying
      the
      PEI
      govern-
     
     
      ment
      (for
      what
      we
      are
      not
     
     
      told)
      do
      not
      bother
      me;
      for
      one
     
     
      thing,
      no
      substantiation
      has
     
     
      been
      offered
      for
      these
      allega-
     
     
      tions,
      and
      for
      another
      thing
     
     
      these
      allegations
      would
      not
     
     
      bother
      me
      even
      if
      they
      were
     
     
      true
      unless
      it
      turned
      out
      that
     
     
      CASA
      were
      actively
      trying
      to
     
     
      rig
      the
      vote.
      If
      they
      are
      simply
     
     
      lobbying
      on
      our
      behalf,
      then
      I
     
     
      say
      more
      power
      to
      them;
      let
     
     
      them
      by
      all
      means
      show
      us
     
     
      what
      they
      can
      do
      for
      us.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
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