Sharp divisions emerged between two current AMS execs at the second presidential debate on Thursday evening.
The seven candidates vying for AMS president discussed the issues facing Indigenous students and the AMS’s Equity Action Plan, amid a back and forth between AMS VP Academic and University Affairs (VPAUA) Eshana Bhangu and VP External Saad Shoaib.
In addition, first-time candidates Wesley Choi, Sydney Harakal and Tate Kaufman and joke candidates The Pan and Remy the Rat are running in a crowded field to be the next AMS president.
Yesterday’s debate was a contrast from the one on Monday night where candidates largely found consensus on issues, albeit with some disagreement on the benefits of being an insider or outsider in student government.
The back and forth between Bhangu and Shoaib started early in open debate when the execs were asked what new thing they would bring to the table if elected. Newcomers were asked how they would cope with the learning curve of AMS president without student society experience.
Bhangu asked Shoaib why he wasn’t aware of the money that the AMS gives enrolment services for student financial aid after he said he would create more needs-based grants.
Shoaib responded by saying students were not seeing the impact of this aid and that the AMS needs to spend more of its money on financial support for students.
Bhangu also brought up Shoaib’s recent lobby meeting with an independent MP who was previously charged with sexual assault — she later said, “I don’t think you deserve to be the next AMS president with that kind of performance” — to which the candidate reiterated that he has apologized for the meeting.
“I am a 21-year-old student lobbyist lobbying the federal government of Canada — something that you haven't done — and I'm going to make mistakes,” he retorted.
Shoaib later initiated an exchange with Bhangu when agreeing with Harakal’s point that the AMS has a problem with just promoting insider voices instead of introducing new ones.
“I actually, you know, totally agree with [Harakal]. Honestly, [it's] why our entire recent AMS Instagram feed right before an election is our VPAUA,” he said. The most recent post related to the VPAUA’s office was posted on February 18, and before that on February 2.
“Perhaps if you were having more successful results to your advocacy work, you would also be communicating more successes to students,” Bhangu replied.
Harakal briefly engaged in Bhangu and Shoaib’s back and forth, questioning why both candidates hadn’t advocated for the things on their platforms in their current positions in the executive.
Candidates highlight equity issues
Amid the heated exchanges between established candidates, the presidential hopefuls talked about a variety of equity-related issues.
When asked about the AMS’s Equity Action Plan, most of the newcomer candidates said they were unfamiliar with its contents. Choi and Harakal apologized and said they would both read the plan if elected, while The Pan and Remy said they shouldn’t have to do "unpaid labour" before becoming president.
Remy later apologized for his lack of knowledge after Maia Wallace, the AMS’s equity and inclusion lead, expressed disappointment in the candidates’ unfamiliarity with the plan when asking her audience question.
Bhangu said the AMS needs to conduct non-extractive consultations and that the Equity Action Plan’s implementation must be organization-wide within the AMS and not just the responsibility of a single executive office.
Shoaib said implementation of the plan should be a “first round of equity goals,” followed by additional initiatives. He later said he would push for compensation for any marginalized person who participates in AMS consultations.
Kaufman, meanwhile, voiced concern that the Equity Action Plan would censor forms of expression that the AMS deems as hate speech.
On whether the AMS has adequately addressed the concerns of Indigenous students, Harakal gave a personal answer.
“As a Queer, Indigenous student running for president, I think that is most important that we implement a policy that puts marginalized voices on every single [AMS] committee and subcommittee,” they said.
Voting opens on Monday, March 7.
The Pan’s representative is Thomas McLeod, The Ubyssey’s blog and opinion editor. He is not involved in this year’s election coverage.
Follow us at @UbysseyNews on Twitter and follow our election coverage starting February 28. This article is part of our 2022 AMS elections coverage.
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