Presidential candidates talk equity, student strike at chaotic great debate

At last night's great debate presidential candidates came to the stage to discuss reintroducing equity staff members, supporting a student-petitioned referendum, and to eat honey.

One of the first questions of the night was a question directed to Riley Huntley and Drédyn Fontana which asked how they could ensure they were running with students’ best interests in mind given they were involved with the inquiry process that occurred earlier this year.

Fontana said he has asked himself many times why he has chosen to return after his removal.

“I'm coming back because I believe that the AMS can be better … I believe that we can rise above this culture of petty politics,” he said.

Huntley pointed to his experience as president of Royal Roads University’s student association.

“I'm here to actually bring tangible results … Anything else other than that, it's drama that I have no interest in," said Huntley.

Despite saying this, Huntley consistently and repeatedly criticized Fontana throughout the debate, including in his opening and closing remarks. Fontana did not engage with any of Huntley’s jabs.

The AMS used to have an equity staff member and a policy advisor, but no longer have people in these positions — candidates were asked whether they would reintroduce these roles.

“I actually filled all of those positions and people just tend to not notice me,” said Nobody.

/u/sasamats said they believe these policies should not be filled, and instead “would actually make policy and equity illegal.”

Fontana said these positions should be brought back as they bring a lot of “institutional knowledge,” and he said it would have been helpful to have a policy advisor during his time as VP AUA.

Barry “Bee” Buzzword agreed these positions were important, but instead said they believe the AMS executives should just fill them.

“I think that I will just make the current executives work more like 60 hour, 80 hour, 100 hour weeks,” he said.

Huntley said the AMS needs permanent equity staff as “that’s a major hole that's missing."

In past years, students have criticized how the AMS handled the revision of it’s sexual violence policy (PC2), saying it failed to centre survivors. When asked how candidates would ensure students’ voices are heard since the policy is revised annually, Fontana said the AMS should actively consult student groups during the revision process.

/u/sasamats took the opportunity to say it would amend the policies to allow for more violence. “I really don't think there's enough violence on campus,” said the Reddit account.

Huntley said he thought it was weird to joke about violence and pointed out that many students are hesitant to engage in the process, something he’d want to change.

“As president, it would be my job to ensure [the PC2 reporting process is] more accessible by creating easy to understand guides to this process and raise awareness,” said Huntley.

Huntley later asked Fontana “what’s happening with the boxing match” which Redditors have called for between him and current AMS President Christian ‘CK’ Kyle.

Another audience question asked candidates whether they would support a student-petitioned referendum item calling on the AMS to support a two-day student strike to demand UBC divest from companies students say are complicit in human rights violations in Palestine.

“I don't think that our university should be investing in corporations and institutions that are funding a genocide … I would support a strike and further action,” said Buzzword.

Fontana said “Yes, I would strike,” and did not elaborate further.

Huntley said he supports governance structures that give students the opportunity to petition for referenda, and said as an AMS councillor, he would support student voices. Huntley did not clarify specifically whether he would strike.

At the end of the debate, Buzzword proposed to /u/sasamats with a Ring Pop — the Reddit account said yes. But shortly after, /u/sasamats was kidnapped by what seemed to be a swarm of engineering students.

In closing remarks, Huntley called on Fontana to give consent to release his inquiry report, claiming there was no comparison between the two of them for who’s better cut out to handle the stress and pressure of the job.

Fontana said the AMS is "at a turning point," and that the society can "either choose to rise above this culture of petty politics, or we can allow ourselves to continue our dissent."

This article is part of our 2025 AMS Elections coverage. Follow us at @UbysseyNews on X (formerly Twitter) and follow our election coverage starting March 3.

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