Merge decision officially delayed until next year
Okay, this just officially got messy. Someone call for clean-up on Aisle 6!
The organisational merge that would see ASA, M@D, MUSA and MAWSA combine into one association has had consultation delayed until next year, after concerns about the original timeframe being “rushed” to fit in before elections this year.
Previously, the presidents were seeking a three-week consultation timeframe, with plans to vote officially on the merge as early as Week 6 of this semester. Last week they even published an opinion piece in Massive claiming “We truly think merging is the best option for our associations, and in turn our students” with outlined plans for upcoming consultation. Two days later, this timeline was scrapped in favour of a timeline extending out to next year, alongside a proposal of a new MUSAF structure [more on that in the next story].
A representative told Massive, “We were aware that our original plan was rushed, and we want to authentically include students in this process, so we landed on this new structure to facilitate this.” The decision was a collective, unanimous decision made by all of the general, Māori and Pasifika associations, established at a recent hui in Palmerston North.
“Woah, that’s a pretty big U-turn from one week to another”, one student told Massive, “I really don’t know what’s happening with the execs right now, it just seems messy.” Another student commented that a “breakdown in communications has ... fostered a lack of trust.” Others though didn’t really care, so maybe we’re just weirdly invested in student politics, and some even praised the move, noting that the initial consultation seemed “really fucking rushed”.
Most students that Massive talked to seemed sceptical that, with this recent delay, the merge would ever happen, with one student saying “there’s going to be elections and new executive members who want to do their own thing. It feels unlikely that this very murky proposal is actually going to carry over to next year. It’s just gonna get more and more pushed back.”
Representatives from the associations are inclined to disagree, citing that in the new proposed MUSAF structure, three “chair” positions (consisting of a general, Māori and Pasifika chair) have been created, which will consist of existing board members. These positions will exist “specifically to carry over this year’s work” and “allow for exhaustive exploration of the proposition of a merged association”.
Overall, MUSAF representatives say, “We haven’t changed our mind. We still wholeheartedly believe [in the benefit of the merge], but we recognise the weight of the changes we would be proposing for a merged association. This decision was made to prioritise transparency and thorough consultation with students, rather than rush a significant decision. We believe this is a reflection of the strength and competence our general, Māori and Pasifika student representatives hold.”
In the meantime, the Service Levy Agreement (SLA) merge, that sees funding applications and funds received shared between the general associations, is still set to go ahead in September.