Deep Tea Diving: Week 11, Semester 2

Everyone’s in ‘talks’

Repselect is fast approaching (it’s the day after Halloween in fact), and all camps are staying mum on what the tricks and treats will be.

Honi previously speculated a Panda/ Liberal coalition might command a majority with 18 votes: but that presumes the two hard-right Liberals, Hartley Dhyon and Zac O’Farrell, will vote with the Mod Libs, who ran on Shake Up. Historically, the hard-right has been at odds with their moderate counterparts, with some going rogue, like Alex Fitton voting with Grassroots at Repselect 2016. Without these two, Panda/Shake Up will only have 16 votes, not enough to secure key positions.

All factions are adamant they are a long way from signing a deal. Shake Up’s preference is to “work with [their] close friends Panda”. President-elect and Panda candidate, Jacky He, said his team is still “open to everyone for conversation” and has met with every major faction at least once so far, adding he has “no political affiliations”. Grassroots says He has proposed a Panda-Libs-Grassroots alliance, to which they said: no fucking way we will not work with Libs ever.

Shake Up have denied they are looking to nominate James Ardouin, who headed the Colleges for SRC ticket, or Dane Luo, an independent who ran on Shake Up for Mental Health, for general secretary. Rumours are also swirling that there is dissatisfaction within the Mod Libs about Gabi Stricker-Phelps’ desire to nominate for Women’s Officer. There are sure to be more Repselect developments in the coming weeks, so watch this space.

Deader and deader: The unlucky case of Manning

Manning Bar has been at death’s door for years, but now, one more of its life support systems looks set to be switched off. Lucky’s, the bar’s burger and fried chicken joint, has featured a $5 burger special since early last year. On basically all metrics of food quality, these burgers are deeply problematic: this little mermaid tried one once and hasn’t been back to Manning Bar since. The burger, which tastes its price tag, is set to be scrapped. The deal is said to be unprofitable, something staff are allegedly unhappy about.

NLS: Best with less!

Harry Gregg has left NLS, this little mermaid has heard, and in circumstances none too pleasant. Gregg, who was once a luminary of the Labor Left faction, is the subject of a large number of internal complaints. Many of these accusations are vague; some are serious; and the grievances are flying in both directions.

The most detailed allegation we’ve heard is that Gregg described Adriana Malavisi, NLS and Unity’s joint SRC presidential candidate, as a “fascist”, a “Nazi” and “homophobic”. Gregg had initially been interested in running as NLS’s presidential candidate, but missed out on the role when his faction signed a deal with Unity, and accepted Unity’s Malavisi as the Labor nominee.

Gregg says he wasn’t attacking Malavisi personally, but instead was describing Unity’s policies on offshore detention. He also maintains he made the comments while at a nightclub, so the NLS thought police must be good at eavesdropping over loud music. In any case, he apologises for the comments.

NLS took its complaints to the faction’s national grievance committee, which allegedly banned Gregg from any involvement in USyd’s SRC elections. Then, NLS’ USyd caucus decided it wanted Gregg gone for good: but word is he jumped before he was pushed, resigning from caucus of his own accord.

On the final day of the SRC polling, Gregg was spotted in a Grassroots campaign shirt, and showed up at the far-left faction’s afterparty. You’d have to be pretty committed to making new friends before showing up at that depressing commiseration fest.