Close Menu
Honi Soit
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Trending
    • SRC Disability Collective organises a free influenza vaccination drive for undergraduate students
    • Local council and Indigenous groups reject proposal for Redfern McDonald’s
    • Nationals split from the Liberal Party
    • MK’s Eclectic Night: A Review To Dance To!
    • Why r u facing the DJ? Turn around.
    • An Interview with Louisa Lim: Building the Future of Hong Kong Identity
    • Lucille MacKellar on Girlhood, Gay Longing, and Having Boy Problems Anyway
    • Heartbreak, Hormones, and Homoeroticism: Lucille MacKellar Has Boy Problems
    • About
    • Print Edition
    • Student Journalism Conference 2025
    • Writing Comp
    • Advertise
    • Locations
    • Contact
    Facebook Instagram X (Twitter) TikTok
    Honi SoitHoni Soit
    Saturday, May 24
    • News
    • Analysis
    • Culture
    • Opinion
    • University
    • Features
    • Perspective
    • Investigation
    • Reviews
    • Comedy
    • Student Journalism Conference 2025
    Honi Soit
    Home»USU Elections

    USU Board candidates 2020: Nick Rigby

    Honi's profile and full interview with USU board candidate Nick Rigby.
    By Honi SoitMay 7, 2020 USU Elections 3 Mins Read
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    Slogan: ‘Rigby’s ready’.

    Colour: Light blue.

    Faction: Independent (Liberal).

    Quiz score: 71%.

    Housewives tagline: ‘People may call me a Liberal, but they just want what I have (factional backing).’

    Just like Michael Buble rears his ugly head every Christmas, it seems like all elections at USyd are plagued by at least one frustratingly unexciting libdependent candidate. Following in the footsteps of current board director Lachlan Finch, Rigby’s Moderate Liberal credentials and SASS-spearheaded resume strike us as an uncanny case of déjà vu. Instead of owning his political background openly and modestly, Rigby seemed embarrassed to admit his personal leanings, dodging our very simple question of which political party he was in three times during our interview, and asserting that he was a centrist.

    While Rigby’s level of institutional knowledge is decent — coming  fourth place in our quiz — he appeared fairly shaky when asked to take stances on financial decisions. Rigby consistently deferred to the excuse of “not being privy to the exact financial numbers” throughout our interview in order to avoid addressing fairly principled questions, such as whether there were any alternatives to the recent round of USU layoffs, or where he would cut $1million from the USU’s budget.

    Moreover, though Rigby’s policies are on-the-whole inoffensive, they do come off as a little tone-deaf during this time of COVID-19. Some of his proposed ideas include more festivals, social gatherings and large-scale events, which seems both legally questionable and unlikely in the foreseeable future of social distancing. Given that Australia is unexpected to fully emerge from the coronavirus crisis by the start of next semester, it is unclear what Rigby intends to do to help the USU recover to the point where the rest of his ideas are actually practicable. 

    The remainder of Rigby’s policy statement comprises vague platitudes without concrete and actionable steps. How does he intend to reconnect “international and postgraduate students?” How will he “secure a greener and eco-friendly future for the USU?” In what ways will he “prioritise Clubs and Societies in matters of future funding?” It’s a mystery to us, as we suspect it is to him as well.

    Ultimately, we can’t help but feel like we’ve seen it all before. Rigby’s campaign will undoubtedly be popular, backed by the hollow social media frenzy of DP changes and SASS-adjacent fire emojis. But coming into this election without any innovative ideas, detailed policies or firm political stances, it’s unclear Rigby will do much of anything, even if he does successfully make it to Board.

    The link to the full interview transcript can be found here.

    Nick Rigby USU Board USU Board Candidates USU Elections

    Keep Reading

    No Soap in the Box

    Another Election? Why the USU Election Matters

    HackWatch: Who Wants to be a Board Director?

    2025 USU Board Candidate Profile: Nabilah Chowdhury

    2025 USU Board Candidate Profile: Michelle Choy

    2025 USU Board Candidate Profile: Sally Liu

    Just In

    SRC Disability Collective organises a free influenza vaccination drive for undergraduate students

    May 23, 2025

    Local council and Indigenous groups reject proposal for Redfern McDonald’s

    May 23, 2025

    Nationals split from the Liberal Party

    May 22, 2025

    MK’s Eclectic Night: A Review To Dance To!

    May 22, 2025
    Editor's Picks

    “Thank you Conspiracy!” says Capitalism, as it survives another day

    May 21, 2025

    A meditation on God and the impossible pursuit of answers

    May 14, 2025

    We Will Be Remembered As More Than Administrative Errors

    May 7, 2025

    NSW universities in the red as plague of cuts hit students & staff

    April 30, 2025
    Facebook Instagram X (Twitter) TikTok

    From the mines

    • News
    • Analysis
    • Higher Education
    • Culture
    • Features
    • Investigation
    • Comedy
    • Editorials
    • Letters
    • Misc

     

    • Opinion
    • Perspective
    • Profiles
    • Reviews
    • Science
    • Social
    • Sport
    • SRC Reports
    • Tech

    Admin

    • About
    • Editors
    • Send an Anonymous Tip
    • Write/Produce/Create For Us
    • Print Edition
    • Locations
    • Archive
    • Advertise in Honi Soit
    • Contact Us

    We acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. The University of Sydney – where we write, publish and distribute Honi Soit – is on the sovereign land of these people. As students and journalists, we recognise our complicity in the ongoing colonisation of Indigenous land. In recognition of our privilege, we vow to not only include, but to prioritise and centre the experiences of Indigenous people, and to be reflective when we fail to be a counterpoint to the racism that plagues the mainstream media.

    © 2025 Honi Soit
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms
    • Accessibility

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.