Controversial pro-life student society LifeChoice held its AGM at a secret location, giving the USU power to order the meeting be re-held and the constitutional changes passed annulled, it was revealed at the USU Board meeting on Friday.
USU President Michael Rees told Honi allegations the meeting was secretly held will be subject to “further investigation”.
“If LifeChoice did hold their meeting at the time and place which they had advertised, we will approve of their constitutional changes. If not, they may have to hold another AGM, which complies with our notice requirements,” he said.
For an AGM to be accepted, it must be held at the time and place advertised on the USU website to hold the club or society accountable to oversight by interested students, the USU Constitution stipulates.
LifeChoice’s AGM was advertised to be held on May 17, though when Honi attempted to attend the meeting, no one was there. No members had arrived up to half an hour after the meeting was said to have begun and the room had not been booked for a meeting.
LifeChoice had advertised another AGM that Honi also attempted to attend, but which also did not go ahead. The meeting had been advertised on the USU website and no cancellation notice had been posted. When contacted, the LifeChoice Facebook page said the meeting had been called off and provided no further explanation.
LifeChoice has been controversial since its conception, approved to become an official USU club by a margin of only one Board vote in 2012. LifeChoice is less active than it was in 2013, when it’s distribution of a debunked educational pamphlet about a newly legalised abortion drug led to student outcry.
Earlier this year, a LifeChoice event entitled “Lifenight for Lifers” proclaimed “#wereback”, signing off with “LyfChoyzz out”.
The LifeChoice executive did not reply to Honi’s request for comment in time for publishing.
