Candidate for Student Parliament aims to get rid of it
Johan Hertzberg, the first candidate in the new Fremskritts party at UiO want to put an end to boring student politics and SiO monopoly. He also says he’ll pay for his own pizza, thank you very much.
«We have three main goals: close down the Student Parliament, put an end to unprofitable studies, and end the SiO monopoly,» said Johan Hertzberg, a member of the new Fremskritts party at UiO.
Why?
«The Student Parliament is defective. It’s only for those who want to pad their CV, get free pizza, and grant money to themselves.»
He claims the student politicians talk about things the students don’t really care about and draws particular attention to what he thinks is an unnecessary waste of money:
«The leaders earn wages of up to 25,000 NOK per month.»
«We deserve food»
The leader for the Student Parliament, Jens Lægreid, welcomes the new party and believes they have an interest to work constructively.
I will pay for my own pizza.
Johan Hertzberg
What do you think about their wish to close down the Student Parliament?
«It’s unfortunate that they don’t see the value in the Student Parliament, but we hope they will discover the value after they have worked with us»
Lægreid does not agree with the description that the Student Parliament only is a place to pad one’s CV and get free pizza.
«My experience is that people join the Student Parliament on the basis of a genuine commitment to the students, and they sure deserve some food after the long hours they invest in this community.»
Subsidized coffee
Hertzberg thinks it would be better to increase the power for the student representors around the different boards around UiO where the facilities and the university can address about concerns from students.
«The students have to use their voices, they don’t do that today. The Student Parliament has little knowledge about their opinions and what resolutions they adopt,» Hertzberg said, referring to the case of the academic boycott of Israel, when the Student Parliament [went back on their own decision.](1)
What would the money allocated for the Student Parliament go to instead?
«They could go to a lot of different things, for example student housing, scholarships or subsidized coffee,» says Hertzberg.
Wants to pay for his own pizza
It’s well known that the Student Parliament struggles with very low engagement in elections. Only 17.6 percent of the students at UiO participated in the last election.
«I think we can increase the general participation around the elections by mobilize the students who show low interest today, which is more than 80 percent of the students,» said Hertzberg and add that the new party will work for their other goals if they don’t succeed in shutting down the Student Parliament.
Could there be a risk that Fremskritts party will just become a part of the game?
«I will never receive a single krone from the Student Parliament in allowance. And I will pay for my own pizza.»
