Sebastian Rossi is running independently for ANUSA VP, Gen Rep and NUS delegate, under the brand of ‘Vision’. His policies mirror much of Stand Apart, the anti-NUS ticket which he recently departed in dramatic fashion after alleged bribery attempts.
Rossi proposes big changes to ANUSA’s operations.
Vision proposes disaffiliation from the NUS as well as a host of novel policies for ANUSA. Rossi wants a ‘priority’ system for SRC meetings to allow Gen Reps to attend fewer meetings, which he hopes will encourage more international students to run for Gen Reps. Rossi also proposes a system by which independent candidates would receive volunteer support from ANUSA, which he previously proposed for the Stand Apart ticket. The other major change is a proposal to assign general representatives to departments in order to improve communication and advocacy. This would see a ‘delegate’ Gen Rep for each department, who would be required to attend at least two department meetings a term and liaise between the departments and the SRC, in return for campaigning assistance from the department.
Past and present ANUSA reps have come out against Rossi.
Rossi’s candidacy and policies have been widely criticised by multiple prominent ANUSA figures since the launch of his campaign. Kat Reed, current ANUSA Gen Sec, criticized his proposal to reduce Gen Rep attendance requirements, noting that “an issue in the past has been engaging Gen Reps in meetings and in project work”, and said they feared that Rossi’s policy would lead to even less commitment from Gen Reps. Reed also questioned his ability to do the job of VP, stressing the time and experience that they felt the role required. Former Education Officer Jessy Wu suggested that Vision’s logo was sourced from a Mexican pipeline manufacturer’s website. Rossi, in response, claimed that he had found the logo on a random generator online.
Comparision of the logos of Vision and the Mexican pipeline manufacturer Tubored
Rossi takes his policies from Stand Apart, but claims they’re different.
Formerly the key policy writer for Stand Apart, Rossi left the ticket in spectacular fashion just hours after it was launched, accusing convenor Ashish Nagesh of bribery and delivering an ultimatum that Nagesh be removed as leader. Rossi intends to take on many of the anti-NUS ticket’s policies, but insists that he’s different from Stand Apart. “I genuinely believe in [the policies] rather it being a question of just ‘following the party line’,” he told Observer. “A key difference is that they are mostly focusing on removing NUS from ANU, I’m pro-disaffiliation in hopes to reform it.” Nagesh, meanwhile, stressed that Stand Apart has key differences to Vision. “We have a greater breadth of int [sic] student policies,” he said. “Also we will hold a more legitimate anti-NUS stance running 4 NUS delegates and lobby for greater change.” Nagesh also highlighted policies on mental health and sexual assault that he hopes will help his ticket stand apart from Vision.
Rossi will resign all other positions before he runs
Rossi is also the founder and President of the Men’s Network, a position he promises to resign immediately. “I’m resigning from all my club positions prior to the election,” he told Observer, “not if, but guaranteed.” The Men’s Network’s first attempt to affiliate to ANUSA was voted down by the Clubs Council earlier this year after Rossi said he was open to a Men’s Department eventually being created; Rossi later said he was mistaken.
Rossi will be contesting the VP position against Lift’s Tess Masters and Shake Up’s Maddison Perkins. The ANUSA election is in week 5.
Correction: Altered “Rossi said he wanted a Men’s Department” to “Rossi said he was open to a Men’s Department” to better reflect the nature of Rossi’s comments at the time.
