Statement on SGPS Presidential By-Election and Re-Referendum of Fees
February 15, 20182019 – 2020 SGPS Election and Referenda Results
January 30, 2019Today is the beginning of the campaign period for the Society of Graduate & Professional Students (SGPS) at Queen’s University Presidential election, with Tyler Morrison and Stéfy McKnight as candidates. Over the course of the last month, we (Stéfy McKnight and Tyler Morrison) have collectively received a number of questions about why there is a by-election for the position of SGPS President, and we hope that this statement will clarify those points and concerns.
The original SGPS Presidential election in January was nullified. The SGPS Chief Returning Officer (CRO) received notice of a self-disclosed accidental infraction of election policy, brought to their attention as soon as it was discovered by the candidate, Stéfy McKnight. McKnight utilized more than the allotted campaign budget. The CRO placed a fine for the violation, which was then appealed by Tyler Morrison, who has since pardoned the infraction. This appeal activated the SGPS Judicial Committee who nullified the results of the election, triggering the upcoming by-election. Although the over spending infraction was small, both candidates accept the decision by the Judicial Committee to nullify the results, and are looking forward to engaging in the upcoming campaign period.
We prepared this statement with the desire to put this violation and appeal behind us, and attempt to have the most neutral and fair by-election as possible. Moving forward, we have respectively agreed to not respond to further questions about this issue. We wish to focus the campaign period and election on SGPS issues, policies; our platforms and plans for the SGPS, and not on the infraction and appeal.
We urge SGPS members to positively engage in the electoral process, focusing on graduate and professional student issues and policies in the upcoming campaign period, and not on the infraction.
We are adamant that this is the most productive and logical way to move forward. Remember to cast your votes online through your email on March 12th and 13th.
Submitted respectively,
Stéfy McKnight & Tyler Morrison