Sports Editor
Manifesto Analysis
Isabella Heath comes across in many ways as the steady candidate of the GUSA Presidential elections, presenting a wealth of experience from her current role as Vice President alongside a lengthy manifesto which aims to appease a wide variety of students. With sponsorship, student wellbeing and Wednesday afternoons at the heart of her manifesto, Heath represents the choice for those looking for continuity and not revolution.
That is not to say that she is without foundation, and her lengthy manifesto outlines her eleven-point plan built upon her past success and experiences within the student body. Covering everything from student wellbeing to sexual violence prevention, Heath’s all-encompassing manifesto is appealing but may also fall short in terms of content. Heath continually plays it safe and allows herself the time to consider the whole scenario before she offers any solutions. Although she says a plan should be in place by this time next year, the lack of any suggestion from the current Vice President should be a worry.
However, what Heath does offer, unlike Roberts, is the promise to increase club funding by improved sponsorship investment in GUSA. Relying upon her past experience in securing sponsorship for the GUSA Ball, Heath suggests that she will apply this to GUSA as a whole and ultimately aim to ensure that the clubs will receive more funding. This will certainly help another aspect of her manifesto, as she looks to involve more of the “probationary” clubs on the outskirts to secure their funding. When pressed, she was quick to reassure clubs that their funding would not be cut as a result of more clubs being involved, but if her sponsorship initiative fails then surely the lack of extra money could lead to cuts somewhere.
Heath, like many who have come before her, promises to finally free up Wednesday afternoons for students and uses her current experience in this fight as reason to believe that she can finally be the one to end the battle. She proposes to continue to collect data from those who have Wednesday classes as evidence for change, but it remains unclear as to whether or not this has made a difference as of yet. As Heath has strong links to the SRC, who hold seats in court and senate, she is in a strong position to effect this change.
Overall, whilst Heath does not offer innovation and plays it safe, she would maintain continuity at GUSA and bring with her an incredibly solid manifesto which appeals to a wide variety of students. She is unlikely to bring any radical changes to GUSA, but this, when GUSA has a simple and clear mission, is not a disadvantage.
