lain W. Reeve, OP Contributor ne movement to impeach the Douglas College udent Union (DSU) ended in defeat over the slidays, as the special general meeting failed to eet quorum, making any vote to remove the mbattled DSU irrelevant. However, several issues around the meeting hve arisen, causing some to question the fairness the proceedings. The meeting, which took place on November ) at Douglas’ New Westminster campus, quired a quorum of 75 people for motions ade within that meeting to be considered valid. pading up to the date, organizers were confident at this number would be reached. However, on the day of the meeting, Douglas llege closed early due to weather conditions er 5:00 p.m. While the meeting was scheduled for 4:30 ., and students began to arrive around this e, the meeting was not called to order until ound 5:15 p.m., said one attendee. When one student asked the chair how the eeting could continue when it had been called er the college had officially closed the school, the chair responded that the meeting had been called for 4:30, before the 5:00 closure. The stu- dent then pointed out that the meeting actually began after 5:00, but this comment was dis- missed. There were also reports that several students, “about 25 people or so,’ signed in at the desk outside, but refused to enter the room. Word was that they were waiting outside and, in the event that the meeting met quorum, would have entered in order to “stock the crowd” with DSU supporters. In any event, the students of Douglas College have not voted to impeach their student union, which will now remain in office through this semester until new elections take place in the spring, The student union will be tasked with setting their books straight in order to renew their fund- ing. They must also, however, contend with a lawsuit from the college, delayed since November, which will attempt to force them into receivership. Douglas Student Union Impeachment ovement Falls Flat December special general meeting failed to meet quorum _* C is A o cd i. JOHN’S, NL (CUP)—Sylvia Reitmanova hd no idea about international student issues til her Palestinian friend’s Canadian-born khby was denied provincial medical coverage. “T was very surprised because I thought at a Canadian-born child was a Canadian tizen, and is eligible for this card,” said itmanova in reference to Newfoundland’s edical Care Plan (MCP) card. The parents ere told their child could get the card when was 18, and until then his insurance comes om his parents. “His status is undermined by his parents’ atus,” Reitmanova said. Confused about international students’ phts, the PhD student researched the anada Health Act for a project in a health licy class at the Memorial University of ewfoundland (MUN). pnewseditor@gmail.com She discovered that the children of inter- national students should be covered by provincial medical plans—as should the stu- dents themselves, because they are considered temporary residents of Canada. “In seven provinces, this is not the case; in seven provinces they do not consider inter- national students to be Canadian residents when it comes to medical plan coverage,” said Reitmanova. “But when it comes to paying taxes they become residents.” These provinces and territories include Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Quebec, Nunavut, the Yukon, and Prince Edward Island. As of 2005, this affected over 85,000 international students. According to Reitmanova’s research into the Canada Health Act and the Immigrant and Refugee Protection Act, a resident of Canada is defined as someone who is lawfully entitled to reside and remain in Canada, a present citizen of the province they live in, and someone who has made a home in Canada—all of which she says apply to inter- national students. This issue is nothing new to some groups. The Newfoundland and Labrador chapter of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) has been lobbying for international student medical coverage for more than two years. According to Jessica Magalios, provincial CFS president, the effort has had its chal- lenges. “The MUN administration was not inter- ested in helping students with our lobby efforts whatsoever,’ she said, adding that the CFS sent letters to Axel Meisen, president of the university, requesting his endorsement of the campaign. Magalios claims the administration changed its mind this past summer when the provincial government made it clear that they would be introducing international student insurance policy in their highly anticipated immigration policy, due sometime this spring. The CFS was not the only one to notice a lack of co-operation from the university. Reitmanova had hoped that the university would champion the cause once informed of the possible rights infringements. She soon learned otherwise. - Unsure of the legality of her research, she asked the administration for assistance in obtaining a lawyer to verify her information. “They said it is not their responsibility, they are concerned with other issues, they are nternational Students Should Get Medical arage: Student Katie Hyslop, The Muse (Memorial University of Newfoundland) not concerned with this issue,” said Reitmanova. “I was told that the university was discussing and negotiating with the gov- ernment the benefits of covering internation- al students, and they are hopeful that the gov- ernment will release the new immigration strategy and the new policy for health insur- ance coverage for international students will be there.” Lilly Walker, dean of student affairs and services, denies ever lobbying against interna- tional student health coverage, and claims the administration has been behind the move- ment since it was raised by the graduate stu- dents union in 2004. “They [the graduate students union] wanted us to support their initiative so we then took that to the president, and the-presi- dent wrote a letter to the government, again supporting their position but also supporting the university’s position which includes an important initiative. Then he did that in a subsequent letter which again reinforced the initiative,” said Walker. She says that she advised Reitmanova to publish her findings in an academic journal, and let readers critique her report for any legal mistakes. Reitmanova says that she has an editor now, and is planning to publish her article very soon. Reitmanova says the goverriment should be brought to justice for this violation. “My question is, how should these fami- lies feel about Canada when it is a country that likes to take from them, but doesn’t like to give back? And when they speak about it, 3 no one wants to listen.”