Shrouded in Smoke
The CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE of smoking returned to the Union at last Thursday's debate, when members were asked for the second time this academic year to review the rules concerning where smoking should be allowed to take place within the Union building.
Members voted by an "overwhelming majority" to allow smoking within the bar for the first time in nearly two years, but moves to force a referendum to reconsider the decision were immediately attempted by non-smoking supporters.
In front of a half-packed chamber, Union President Charlotte Keenan, read out a Private Business Motion proposing to amend current Union policy, enforcing that "members may only smoke in the bar". These reforms would end the status of the Union bar as the only non-smoking bar in the city, but initiate a smoking ban in the rest of the Union buildings.
Insisting that "it is not a pro-smoking motion, it is a members' motion", Union Returning Officer Alexandra da Costa proposed the reforms, arguing that changes would look to offset the financial losses made by the bar, quoted at £13,000 each year, and would also include installation of smoke extractors in the bar area. This, she argued, would not only be in the interests of the health of non-smokers' who occupy the upper floors, but would also serve to protect the rest of the building from damage and fire risk, a move which she insisted had been recommended by the building's insurers.
However, in opposition of the motion, Union member and ex-Christ Church student, Patrick Mackerras, in a highly contentious speech to the chamber, stated that contrary to da Costa's claims, the building's insurers were "satisfied" with the current situation. He then went on to accuse senior Union members of "forming an agreement with insurers" to add weight to the non-smoking argument, and failing to inform the Union fire officer, claims that Charlotte Keenan has gone on to "categorically deny".
Whilst he was forced to withdraw what da Costa called a "flammable statement" in the debate, Mackerras, speaking on Tuesday, claimed that he was "still standing by the claims," which had originated from an "incredibly reliable source".
In reaction to the allegations, Keenan claimed that insurers had "strongly recommended" that reforms be imposed, and proposed that the Union was "prepared to release the letter, subject to the Bursar's approval."
Responding to the passing of the motion, however, Mackerras, former chair of Oxford University anti-smoking group SASH, immediately initiated a referendum in opposition to the motion, in accord to Union directives.
The requirements, which Mackerras insists he followed, entail obtaining 150 signatures of Union members on the premises during a period of forty-eight hours after the debate. However, Mackerras' attempts to overturn the motion were declared invalid by the Union, after Extraordinary Returning Officer Tim Buckley declared 34 of the signatures invalid.
Suspicions have been aired too over the credibility of the pro-smoking group, with Mackerras insisting that da Costa's supposed impartiality as Returning Officer, and role as head of the pro-smoking group "absolutely conflicts". Although da Costa was unable to comment, Keenan insisted that she was "completely happy" with the Returning Officer, who had "behaved impeccably" in regard to the situation.
However, allegations have been lodged regarding "certain Union members" attempting to obstruct Mackerras' efforts to resist the passing of the motion and the attempts at obtaining signatures. Flyers publicising the anti-smoking argument that were placed in pigeon-holes all over the University are known to have been removed in several colleges, activities which Keenan admits in reaction to the "illegal" activities, with "no one allowed to campaign in polls of this nature, according to Union rules".
As a result of the failure of the referendum in respect to Union rules, the new smoking rules consequently still stand, with plans to impose the reforms, which require extractor fans to be fitted in the bar, by the beginning of next term.
Further Union difficulties were revealed on Wednesday, when the Union election manifestos booklets were printed without the names of current or former officer positions for several of the candidates. Amongst the more serious errors was the absence of the names of three of the four candidates for Treasurer and one of the three candidates for Secretary. This could potentially lead to Union members not knowing the identity of their preferred candidate.
As RO, the responsibility for the booklet was also da Costa's, who swiftly apologised for the omissions, telling the OxStu "I messed up", adding that she had created an 'error sheet' to be distributed with all of the manifestos, and that the election result should not be affected. Former RO Daniel Johnson described the mistakes as due to the fact that being RO is "possibly one of the most stressful jobs in the world". Union President Charlotte Keenan described the event as "an accidental error which has been rectified".
28th Feb 2002