BY EMMA KELLAWAY

Students have been left outraged after the Monash Student Association (MSA) dismissed a petition demanding the student council scrap regulations prohibiting on-campus campaigning in the 2021 student elections. 

The petition created by the Defend Democracy at Monash group received more than 800 student signatures and was submitted to the student council meeting on August 19 as a motion to prompt a separate student general meeting (SGM). 

The purpose of the SGM was to allow students to vote on the matter, however it was quickly dismissed by MSA President Marni O’Connell who said MSA had received legal advice which would see the ban stay. 

According to Ms O’Connell, the motion was deemed “unlawful and invalid” by the student council based on legal advice from barrister Tony Lang.  

Ms O’Connell said Mr Lang advised the committee that the motion was void as it sought to change the rules of an election that had already begun, making any decision made at a SGM invalid. 

Students who attended the meeting via Zoom reacted immediately to the decision by virtually raising their hands and posting in the chat room for the MSA to speak on the matter.

Ms O’Connell said the matter was not up for debate and stuck by her decision to promptly mute attendees who continued to raise the topic. 

“This was not a matter for debate, it was a black and white matter of law,” Ms O’Connell said.

“It was really disappointing to see the Monash Socialists try and derail a Monash student council meeting in their self-interested attempt to undermine public health advice,” she said. 

”As chair, I would not tolerate it.” 

Monash University student Aisha Khodary said she felt “extremely frustrated” after being cut off when asking the student council to explain their decision. 

“The student union is supposed to be the body you can go...to express your concerns,” Ms Khodary said.  

“The fact that they would go out of their way to silence you is just ridiculous.” 

Defend Democracy at Monash campaign organiser Kelly Cvetkova said she was outraged by the conduct of both Ms O’Connell and the MSA during the meeting.

“Every single time people in the meeting spoke to try and say something [about the petition] they were muted and cut off,” Ms Cvetkova said. 

“It’s really concerning that MSA is just trying to dodge the question and dodge the 800 students and their concerns.”

Ms Cvetkova said there was lack of justification behind the legal advice given to the MSA, which compounded the concerns held by herself and many students. 

“I would love to see this legal advice be released [by the MSA],” Ms Cvetkova said. 

“That is one of the things that has been missing throughout this whole process,  [that is] more public answering of these kinds of questions on the part of the MSA.” 

Monash University Arts student Jayden Trask said he wanted to be able to discuss the legal advice that informed the MSA’s decision to dismiss the motion. 

“We just wanted to discuss the legal advice [to determine] whether that is what students would want to follow,” Mr Trask said. 

“What it seems like [Ms O’Connell] is saying is that, yes the election is undemocratic but I’m on good legal advice that it can be undemocratic, which to me it's just not good enough,” Mr Trask said. 

Ms Cvetkova said the Defend Democracy at Monash campaign will continue to fight for their motion to be heard by the MSA and eventually have a student general meeting called. 

A motion will be re-submitted to the MSA ahead of the next Student Council Meeting on September 9, 2021.