The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) Board passed a motion on November 29 which removes the voting rights of the Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association (SUPRA) at the upcoming Annual Council Meeting (ACM) on December 8 2023.
The dispute between CAPA and SUPRA dates back to a 2021 disagreement over the payment of affiliation fees. Honi published an extensive investigation in March which details the disputed election of current President Nidzam Shah Hussain in 2022 and the allegations that CAPA did not give SUPRA and other university organisations the ability to pay their affiliation fees.
The motion, seen by Honi and verified by a member of the Board, says that “the two organisations identified in point two of the Board resolution have chosen not to accept the affiliation payment arrangements set out by the CAPA Board.”
Spokesperson for SUPRA Gemma Smart disputes that claim, reaffirming that SUPRA has not been invoiced for affiliation fees and has not been given a fee waiver despite many other CAPA members receiving one.
Honi has been given a legal letter sent by ten CAPA members, including SUPRA as well as the organisations representing UNSW, UQ, and Macquarie University to CAPA on September 6 which asserts the Board violated the CAPA Constitution because:
“[The] members that we represent were at no time: advised by the CAPA Board that they were in default of any payment obligations with respect to Affiliation Fees; or notified that their membership rights would be suspended if they failed to make a payment within a further 30 days after receiving notice of the non-payment.”
CAPA sent a formal response on November 1, also acquired by Honi, that denies the Board has violated the Constitution and affirms that all members will be allowed to take the needed steps to regain voting rights:
“The Board provides an assurance and the President provides an undertaking that prior to the upcoming AGM each of CAPA’s members will be clearly communicated to and provided with a clear and precise process (including relevant timeframes) for steps required to be undertaken by each member to be entitled to vote at the AGM.”
When asked by Honi, Hussain did not confirm or provide evidence that SUPRA nor any other member organisation has been given an opportunity to pay affiliation fees between November 1 and the motion on November 29.
Hussain told Honi: “Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association should know there is no such thing as a free lunch. All they need to do is pay their affiliation fee like all other full university members and they’ll gain full participatory rights. I’d encourage them to do so if they want to be part of the association.”
The motion says that SUPRA did not pay the fees “despite receiving written legal notice and affiliation information stating that a fee is payable in order to attain voting rights.” Within the legal advice seen by Honi, no instructions for payment were given.
According to Smart, who has also been nominated by SUPRA to serve as CAPA’s Disability Officer, “We [SUPRA] have not been officially notified of the motion passed by the Board.” Honi understands that the University of Queensland Union, who also lost voting rights due to the motion, has also not been notified.
Smart also expressed to Honi particular sadness that the CAPA Disability Officer position may remain vacant because SUPRA no longer has voting rights.
Dr Sharlene Leroy-Dyer, the only Board member to vote against the motion, told Honi that “I am disappointed and disgusted, but not surprised that the President of CAPA and the Board have continued their exclusion of certain postgraduate groups and denied them affiliation and voting rights to CAPA.”
Dr Leroy-Dyer, also President of the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Postgraduate Association, made other allegations relating to the management of CAPA which can not be published for legal reasons.
Weihong Liang, President of SUPRA, told Honi that “SUPRA has lost confidence in CAPA’s current leadership due to their lack of demonstrated capability in leading and assisting the postgraduate cohort. Over the past year, CAPA has not effectively communicated with SUPRA on key issues such as policy, campaigns, events, and communications, leaving their focus unclear.”
Hussain was dismissive of those concerns telling Honi, “I’ll leave others to commentate. We’re getting on with the job of delivering our annual council meeting.”
The CAPA ACM is scheduled for December 8 and Honi understands that members from SUPRA will attend to voice their concerns despite losing formal voting rights.