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Young Labour’s plan to tank VUWSA

by Whaleoil on October 2, 2012

Yesterday I posted about Young Labour hack Rory McCourt and how he has gone negative to win the VUWSA Presidency. He’s starting to get desperate because he knows that real students see him as another nasty drone who they can’t relate to, and many won’t vote for him for that reason. He thinks it’s his birthright as a Labour Party time server to get a cushy job preparing him for greater things.

But there is something Vic students should be even more worried about if Rory becomes President of VUWSA. I understand that VUWSA still hasn’t made the hard decisions necessary to balance their budget going forward. They have free money from the student services levy in the short term, but when that runs out it’s looking like lights out VUWSA. And it appears the University is already making plans to effectively replace them.

So what does Rory think about making tough decisions? Well actually,he doesn’t possess the capacity to think at all. He just turns to blind ideology.

Yup, according to Rory ‘living within our means’ is just a right wing conspiracy. And in his time on VUWSA this year he has demonstrated his philosophy of idiocy.

All members were in favour of donating the money, but because this would be extra spending, Treasurer William Guzzo said he was unable to say where that money would come from without consulting the association manager. Vice-President (Welfare) Rory McCourt said the executive should pledge to donate the money regardless of whether they could budget for it. He argued they should take the money from the reserves if they couldn’t.

So budgeting is not a concept Rory believes in, he just spends whatever he feels like. I’m starting to question why he is running for VUWSA President at all, he could replace David Parker as Labour’s finance spokesman straight away.

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  • Agent BallSack

    He’s just using Labours borrow and spend policy. We better get used to it, coming to an electorate near you in 2015.

  • CatchAnIdiot

    is he a bloody idiot?

  • NotInDebt

    Dude. VUWSA is not in debt. Its assets far exceed its liabilities.

    • jb

      they’re not likely to be sold though are they?

    • Kimbo

      Is this you, Rory? Must be, because we know Rory “Not sure it makes sense to buy into the ‘live within our means’ dogma” is truly fiscally challenged…

      Dude. Excess Assets over liabilities doesn’t necessarily mean you have the liquidity to cover the debts, or realise the “book value” of the fixed assets if they have to be sold off in a fire sale to pay the debts.

      Don’t believe me? One day, if you are ever grown-up enough to buy a house (yes – there are some people in this country who do that, rather than bludge off the state. You no doubt call them, “greedy middle class who speculate in property”), you may be in a situation where, unless you reign in your spending, or you won’t have enough money to pay your mortgage. Your balance sheet may say that you own a $500,000 asset, but try realising that value if the bank forces a mortgagee sale.

      I’d love to see what Rory’s “alternative” is in such a situation! I know – use other people’s money to avoid suffering the consequences of his stupid decisions (aka “equity”, “social justice”, and “fairness”) to reverse the sinister neo-liberal plot that put him in that situation.

      More “Life in the Real World 101″ lessons.

      • Kimbo

        actually, stupid me – I forgot! One of the alternative “dogmas” that Rory as a budding Labour politician no doubt rejects is asset sales to reduce debt.

        Which leaves either reneging on the debt (hardly a viable option, although with people this mad, anything to overthrow the neo-liberal status quo is possible),…

        or getting yourself or your mates elected into a position of power where they can public throw money to bail you out…

        Welcome to Labour Party student politics!

        • tarkwin

          Kimbo, you have made the basic error of not allowing for the money tree that grows in every socialist back yard. Don’t worry, anyone with half a brain would come to the same conclusion. It’s caused by “fiscally responsible blindness” which prevents us from seeing the money tree that Labour and the Greens are sure is there, located next to the happy unionist and the state funded commune.

          • Kimbo

            “Kimbo, you have made the basic error of not allowing for the money tree that grows in every socialist back yard.”

            Quite true, I am suitably chastened and corrected.

            However, the location of said money tree is disputed. As per Rory’s analysis, the “neo-liberal status quo” implies it grows in the back yard of the hard-working, fiscally responsible, independently-minded middle class (aka the “class-exploiters”)- and it is Rory’s duty to pick from it when he sees fit.

          • tarkwin

            I think they call that Robin Hood delusion syndrome – very common ailment of those with a leftish lean.

      • Goldie

        Kimbo – best comment of the day.

      • Henry

        From the mouth of the current president, they have the liquidity. Deficit does not equal debt.

        “We are in deficit – meaning that our expenditure exceeds that of our income in our budget, however, VUWSA has around 900K in the bank and also a Trust to help us out when we need it. Which will mean our projected 2012 deficit – around 200k – will be covered, but won’t take us into debt. I don’t want to start an argument, I just think it’s important that these points are clarified.”

  • blokeintakapuna

    Or he could try and join the Mana Party – to give both some credibility…

  • out2lunch

    sounds like your typical dumb labour supporter. “the money will come from somewhere. we don’t know where, but it will surely come. Let’s spend everything we got, because that’s all us labour chums know how to do.”

    • Jt

      national on the other hand….

    • onetrack

      Cant they just set up a printing press in the student union. Just like the messiah

  • Petal

    Another protected leech in the making that will eventually make it to the party list.

  • Changeiscoming

    Further confirmation for my long held belief to never vote Labour agian for as long as I live.

  • http://unsolicitedious.wordpress.com/ Unsolicitedious

    I’m contemplating further study at Vic next year but I am seriously worried about my potential to fly into a murderous wage after an entire semester of listening to left-wing drivel and rhetoric..nothing worse than hearing a bunch of know-it-all idealistic children without a clue on what it takes to make a real dollar in the real world.

    Oh hang on there is: the Labour Party.

    Dismissing the tried and true philosophy of “living within your means” (as demonstrated by those of us who actually do!) as a mere “simile for neoliberal status quo” is indicative of nothing more than a lofty self-righteous twit who just like the beneficiaries & WFF recipients expects to get what he wants so as long as he doesnt have to work for it; going from university straight into a cushy new grad number within the public service…or worse, politics, is not working for it.

    I must say, the fact that there are some – perhaps many – students who see this fool fro what he is does give me hope that perhaps our youth may in fact be the ones to have the guts to overhaul many of our existing policies.

  • blokeintakapuna

    So what is the “alternative” this guy is proposing?
    If it’s as grand as his logic – is it raise taxes on income to 39% and no GST on fruit and vege’s?
    Rory – will you enlighten us – or are you too ashamed to voice your thoughts beyond the ideas vaccuum that is anything to do with Labour?

  • Lance Cash

    As a student at Vic, I’m not entirely convinced this is a good reason for me to not vote for Rory for VUWSA president. This isn’t an attack on his VUWSA policy, its an attack on his rhetoric.
    The alternative – Jackson – seems a lot worse, a lot less experience, doesn’t have a clue what is going on, and his central policy is throwing parties.
    But since Jackson is a member of young nat – I suppose we create an immediate partisan divide?

    Nats vote for a less experienced and less onto-it Jackson.
    Labour/Greens vote for a slightly more experienced and clued on Rory.

    Don’t be a fool for jumping into partisan lines. Its childish.

  • davcav

    What on earth are they doing that puts them $200k into debt?

  • Andrew

    I was his economics, social studies and business studies teacher for many years when he was in high school, i am right wing so it was not my fault he turned out so far left. Hi Rory:)

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