By Chris Tait
There is a longstanding tradition of Gauntlet editors being critical of the Students’ Union and dissatisfied with their policies. It isn’t that our paper aims to be antagonistic towards the Students’ Legislative Council, or that we bear personal grudges against its members. Nor is it our goal to focus more on the negative than the positive. It’s true, the two organizations have historically had an occasionally rocky relationship (see the re-appropriation into the SU and brief renaming of the Gauntlet to the Medium–twice), but the object has always been to give credit where credit is due, both bad and good.
For the first time in a long time, the Gauntlet would like to congratulate the SU and vice-president external Mike Selnes for the recommendations for affordable housing in his committee’s report, “Working Together: Finding Solutions to Affordable Accomodations for Students,” which will officially be released on Oct. 3. Though the document will likely receive some scrutiny over some proposed changes to municipal-level land use, it is a well-researched, comprehensive and compelling paper.
I would encourage every student to whom housing is an issue–which bloody-well better be all of them in Calgary, at least–to attend the release and discussion of the document next week. There will be a panel discussion including representatives from several levels of government and some interesting Q and A can be expected.
As chair of the Council of Alberta University Students, Selnes is in a very good position to carry these recommendations in a very direct way to the various levels of government to which they try to appeal. The SU has a strong tool during a potential triple-election year. Now they are tasked with the follow-through.