Johan Hertzberg from Progress Party wants to lead Student Parliament
Last week Christen Andreas Wroldsen made it official that he wanted to have the leader position. Now he has an opponent.
«I can do a better job with my left hand tied behind my back, and without a single kroner for a salary. It’s about time for student politicians to commit to their leader responsibilities without huge remuneration. I am that candidate,» Johan Hertzberg wrote in a press release.
He is the first candidate from the new Progress Party, who wishes to run for president and [aims to shut down the whole Student Parliament.](1) The Progress Party does not think the parliament have any real power, and the representatives are there only to pad their CVs and eat free pizza.
Critical of the salary
«The Student Parliament can’t call themselves a democracy since less than 20 percent use their right to vote. On top of it, the expenses with salary for the executive committee is 1.5 million NOK. It clearly costs more than it’s worth,» Hertzberg says.
He is very critical to the salaries within the Parliament and claims he does not want a single kroner if he get elected to the Presidential position. To be elected, the majority of the representatives must chose him.
«How will you manage to make the other representatives vote for a candidate who aims to get rid of the Student Parliament?»
«Our goal is to get enough candidates that we don’t need the other parties to give me the position as the President.»
«Is it likely to happen?»
«Probably few students wish to use public funds to finance the Student parliament.»
A prerequisite
The Progress Party would rather strengthen the student representatives in the different faculties, instead of having a parliament. They say the money that is left over can finance student associations or similar initiatives which will benefit the students.
It is not the leader of the Student Parliament who decides the ruling politics; it is decided among the representatives in the Parliament. So, Hertzberg needs the rest of the Parliament to actually get rid of the institution.
«If you get elected as the president, but don’t get the rest of the Parliament on your side, wouldn’t you then too get salary, exactly as the other people?»
«It´s a prerequisite to shut down the Parliament, for me to become the President.»
The Progress Party also wants to rid of so called «unprofitable study programs,» such as interdisciplinary gender studies, and remove the SiO-monopoly at campus.
