The Student Union at UBC Okanagan has reversed an earlier decision and is allowing the formation of an official Conservative Party club on campus.聽
Union directors granted the group club status at an 鈥渆mergency meeting鈥 on Thursday after initially rejecting the application because of the 鈥減olitical stance鈥 of the Conservative Party of Canada.聽
The reversal came after considerable public reaction to the initial decision, which was described as an extraordinary stifling of political discourse and free expression.
鈥淎fter careful consideration, the Board has ratified the club,鈥 read a statement posted by the Student Union to Instagram. 鈥淲e understand the importance of fostering a diverse range of student groups that contribute to a vibrant campus community.鈥
Much of the post was given over to denouncing what it said was the 鈥渂ullying鈥 of Student Union leaders after they had initially voted to deny club status to the Conservatives. 鈥淣o SUO student leader should be subject to bullying and harassment, online or in person, for carrying out their responsibilities,鈥 said the unsigned post.聽
For their part, the student Conservatives students welcomed the belated approval of their application for club status, which comes with some resource support from the Student Union.聽
鈥淭his is a win not just for our club, but for all students who believe in open dialogue, diversity of thought, and democratic representation,鈥 the club said on Instagram. 鈥淲e commend the SUO for making the right decision - one that upholds fairness, inclusivity, and the fundamental right of students to organize and engage in political discourse on campus.鈥
Media commentators, free speech advocates, Conservative Party MPs, and even local Liberal students had all denounced the UBCO Student UnionB次元官网网址 initial refusal to grant status to the Conservative students鈥 application for club status.聽
They said it was a hypocritical, bewildering and unusual decision, given the widespread existence of Conservative clubs, and those affiliated with other political parties, at many colleges and universities.聽
鈥淭here is indefensible hypocrisy evident in their supporting our Liberal club while refusing to allow a Conservative club to exist,鈥 the Young Liberals of Canada Okanagan said of the UBC Student Union in a post on Instagram. 鈥淭he freedom to express diverse opinions on campus is crucial. It is important for all of us to be exposed to and challenged by ideas we may not agree with.鈥
B次元官网网址 Conservative MP Tracy Gray had described the initial rejection of the groupB次元官网网址 application for club status 鈥渄isturbing鈥, and had called for it to be reversed. "Universities should be a place of open discussion of ideas for students, not censorship," Gray said.
The first significant public attention to the UBCO Student Union rejecting the Conservatives' application for club status was drawn by Jonathan Kay, formerly a staff writer with The National Post newspaper, and now an advisor to the Free Speech Union of Canada.聽
鈥淎mazingly, the student unionB次元官网网址 VP Internal flat out admitted that the decision was made on the basis of partisan political considerations,鈥 Kay posted Wednesday on X, where he shared an email from the Student Union to the student Conservatives that explained its rejection of the club status.聽
In the email, the Student Union said: 鈥淭o clarify the boardB次元官网网址 decision, there were differing opinions among directors. Some were in favour of ratifying the club, considering B次元官网网址B次元官网网址 conservative presence and the opportunity for political debates featuring various perspectives.
鈥淗owever, concerns were raised regarding the political stance of the party your club would represent, rather than the club itself. Specifically, some directors were concerned that certain views associated with the party - particularly those regarding the Black and LGBTQ+ communities - could make students from these groups feel excluded or unwelcome,鈥 the email stated.聽
鈥淎dditionally, some directors suggested the club take a more neutral stance to ensure inclusivity and encourage open political dialogue without unintentionally alienating any student communities,鈥 the email stated.
It went on to describe the rejection of club status as final, and said 鈥渢here is no appeal process for club ratification at this time鈥.聽
UBC Okanagan principal Lesley McCormick said, before the decision was reversed, that the Student Union can 鈥渕ake independent decisions with respect to student club ratification and allocation of student union resources.鈥 But she also said the university聽聽鈥渟tands firmly behind its responsibility to uphold principles of free, lawful, and respectful expression of all views and opinions, even those with which some may disagree.鈥
John Rustad, Leader of the BC Conservatives, had also weighed in. 鈥淭his is the inevitable result of out of control radical leftist activism in BCB次元官网网址 academia. No woke, activist student council should be allowed to determine which political parties students can join or associate with.鈥
Twenty per cent of all UBC Okanagan students are from the Okanagan, with 33 per cent from other parts of B次元官网网址, 25 per cent from other Canadian provinces, and 22 per cent from other countries.聽
