Motion Regarding Support for Indigenous Peoples and Allies
Heated debate occurred between councillors over a motion calling for SSMU to “adopt a position in support of the Idle No More movement, and in support of the struggles of the Society’s First Nation and Inuit members and allies.”
Senate Caucus Representative Max Zidel expressed discomfort with Council stating support for the Idle No More movement as a whole. Other councillors said that adopting a position in support of Idle No more was external to Council, and that the motion should be committed to the next SSMU General Assembly (GA).
Council voted on the clauses individually, in order to allow councillors to commit the clause that was considered external to the GA, it also allowed them to while vote on the other two clauses, which were considered to be within Council’s purview.
Ultimately, Council voted to send the first clause—that SSMU adopt a position in support of the Idle No More movement—to the Feb. 4 GA, where it will be put to a student vote. Council passed the other two clauses, which concerned lobbying the McGill administration to divest its holdings in companies that do not engage in consultation with First Nations groups when conducting business on Indigenous land.
Motion Regarding a McGill Free from Fossil Fuels
A motion calling for SSMU to lobby the university to “divest its holdings in companies engaged in fossil fuels and from financial institutions that invest in or give loans to companies engaged in fossil fuel production” provoked debate between councillors.
Science Representative Devin Bissky Dziadyk asked the movers of the motion why specific actions were not included in it. Others councillors then called for the motion to include specific actions, so that the movers would have something concrete on which to follow up.
The motion was ultimately amended to mandate that the Political Campaigns Coordinator draft a plan, detailing and proposing ways in which SSMU can lobby McGill, which would be presented to Council at a later date. The motion passed after being put to a vote.
Council endorses Daily Publication Society
Following guest speeches from The McGilly Daily Coordinating Editor Queen Arsem-O’Malley and Le Délit Editor-in-Chief Nicolas Quiazua, councillors voted in favour of endorsing the Daily Publication Society (DPS)’s existence referendum, with 21 votes in favour—none against—and six abstentions.
“As much as I disagree with [some things] The Daily runs, I do think that it should exist, it offers such a good platform for students to … share ideas,” Music Representative Katie Larson said.
Announcement: New student space
SSMU President Josh Redel announced that the end of SSMU’s sublease with the student travel agency Voyage Campus would allow student space in the building to expand for the first time in several years.
Redel said that the area, located on the main floor of the SSMU Building and spanning 115 square metres, represented “potential for just about anything.” He explained that a consultation process with McGill students on how to transform the vacant space would commence shortly, starting with a Strategic Summit on Student Space in the Madeleine Parent Room on Feb. 1.
SSMU Vice-President Finance and Operations JP Briggs later suggested that the area could be a “potential place” for the long-awaited student-run café.
