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Get to know your Douglas Students Union representatives

Sonia Keshane shares
her passion

Julia

Siedlanowska
Staff Writer

Gere Keshane is the
aboriginal liaison at the
Douglas Students’ Union (DSU).
In her interview with the Other
Press, she reveals how the
support she felt during an event
last February prompted her to
put her name forward and get
involved in student politics.

Could you explain for us
your role as DSU’s aboriginal
liaison? What duties does this
include?

“As the aboriginal liaison,
my portfolio consists of
representing all aboriginal
students on campus, and liaising
with the Aboriginal Student
[Services] Centre at both the
New Westminster and David
Lam campuses. I also organize
and facilitate many different
events, varying from social
justice campaigns (such as Idle
No More, Sisters in Spirit, and
No Means No), to membership
outreach initiatives (such as
Welcome Week and Your Voice
Matters), as well as free food
events.”

When did you start being
interested in aboriginal issues?
Is this how your involvement
with the DSU began?

“T have always been
interested in advocating and
raising awareness for many
aboriginal issues; however, I
had not taken a leadership role
in this capacity until I helped
organize the Idle No More
event last February with the
DSU. The success of the event
and the support I felt from all
the organizers and volunteers
influenced me to put my name
forward for the position of
aboriginal liaison at the DSU.”

How has working with the
DSU affected your life? Have
you found it helpful in other
aspects of your daily life?

“Being elected as a
representative for the DSU has
had a very profound [impact]
on my life. It has given me an
opportunity to connect with
our membership and the larger
community, as well as allowed
me to work with a group of
people who are passionate
about their duties to serve the
membership at Douglas College.

“T have found it helpful
because it has given me a
‘political awakening’ to what
issues I am interested in and
also to what issues our students
and communities face.”

If you could change one thing
at Douglas College, what
would it be?

“As an aboriginal woman
and learner, I would like to
see more initiative taken on
by Douglas College for our
aboriginal students and to see
the Douglas College Women’s
Centre have the proper supports
and funding in place in order
to operate and provide services
needed. Although the DSU
does take initiative in providing
services to our members, it
is vital that the college itself
take ownership in ensuring all
students have access to vital
services.”

What advice would you give
someone wanting to get
involved with the DSU?

“Volunteer with the DSU!
The DSU has a variety of
volunteer opportunities, with
an event for every student.
Whether it be social justice
related, or membership
outreach, there is a space for all
interests and hobbies. Joining or
creating a club is another way to
engage and connect with other
likeminded individuals, as well
as learning about what other
services and things the DSU has
to offer.”

 

Sonia Keshane

 

Independent Panel on Internet Voting releases preliminary report

Panel says Internet voting
not secure enough yet’

Patrick
Ba Vailancourt
News Editor
Fes + news@theotherpress.ca

panel formed at the
olicitation of the

Government of British Columbia
to examine the feasibility of
Internet voting in municipal and
provincial elections has returned
recommendations that will put
such a measure on hold for the
foreseeable future.

The Independent Panel on
Internet Voting has returned
recommendations to study
online voting further, saying
that the inherent risks that
currently exist in today’s online
environment outweigh the
potential benefits.

The panel was chaired
by Dr. Keith Archer, British
Columbia’s chief electoral
officer, and included four other

4

members with backgrounds in
technology, Internet security
policy, cryptography, and
electoral administration.

While the panel did not
recommend the implementation
of Internet voting, they have
started a provincial consultation
process to engage British
Columbians on the subject. The
consultation will proceed until
December 4 and public feedback
can be submitted online at
Internetvotingpanel.ca

Dr. Darin Nesbitt, chair of
the political science department
at Douglas College, applauded
the panel's well-researched
conclusions and encouraged all
British Columbians to offer their
feedback online.

“The report is well-
researched and an important
document for all British
Columbians to consider,” said
Dr. Nesbitt in an interview with
the Other Press.

Advocates of the Internet
voting initiative argue that
allowing people to vote from
their home or office computers

will increase turnout, but the
preliminary report concluded
that there was no evidence in
the case studies examined that
would result in greater voter
engagement. Dr. Nesbitt said
that while the report does not
conclude higher turnout, he
acknowledged that the benefits
of Internet voting are evident.

“The report notes that
supplementing the current
voting system with remote
Internet voting would benefit
current voters in ways other
than increasing voter turnout
rates, especially with increased
accessibility and convenience.”

Dr. Nesbitt, when asked
about the report's flaws, said
that the implicit cost-benefit
analysis provided for in the
report was somewhat vague,
saying that “the report does
not define what constitutes a
reasonable or acceptable limit
on the costs of implementing
remote Internet voting.”

In recommending a delay
in implementing Internet voting
for municipal and provincial

elections in BC, the panel
suggests that the cost of its
implementation may be too
much for the taxpayer to bear.

“Security at the voter’s
device, reduced transparency
and auditability compared to
traditional voting methods, and
cost were seen by the panel to be
the most significant
challenges to implementing
Internet voting for either local
government or provincial
government elections,” said the
report’s executive summary.

Dr. Nesbitt took aim at
the notion that cost should
determine how elections are
conducted in British Columbia.

“In my view, what British
Columbians—the government
and citizens—need to reconsider
is the increasingly prominent
view that the cost of local and
provincial elections should
be the determining criterion
for conducting them,” said
Dr. Nesbitt. “The provincial
government must ensure public
monies are wisely and efficiently
expended, but voting and

elections are basic and essential
to democratic governance.”

Dr. Nesbitt suggested that
public funds be diverted from
the government's “massive”
communications budget
and spent instead on the
administration of local and
provincial elections.

The Independent Panel on
Internet Voting was formed at
the request of the provincial
government, in part to reverse
the troubling downward
trend of voter engagement,
particularly in municipal
elections. In the 2011 municipal
elections, turnout in the City
of New Westminster was 24.22
per cent, while the City of
Vancouver had a better turnout
at 34.57 per cent.

The preliminary report
of the Independent Panel for
Internet Voting can be viewed
online at internetvotingpanelca.
blob.core.windows.net/
internetvotingpanelca/ ipiv-
prelim-rpt-20131023.pdf