GABA President Heather Carnegie The Gay Auckland Business Association will tonight vote on a number of proposed changes to its constitution, including sorting issues with couples’ voting rights and moving from being about ‘gay business people’ to ‘lgbti’ people. Under the proposed changes, couples would be treated as individuals, rather than having to share a vote if they are under a couples’ membership – something which was a sticking point at the last AGM. Other suggestions are altering the constitution’s language from being for “gay business people” to being for “lgbti”, and removing business objectives such as “to work-for-equal opportunity and status-for-gay-business people”. It will also remove political advocacy objectives. An explanatory note says political advocacy was “relevant”, pre legislative reform, when written into the current constitution, adding “GABA can continue to make comment on political issues, but this does not need to be an objective of GABA’s Constitution.” Minor changes are also mooted to how much notice is needed for nominations for board officers, a tweak so 50 per cent of the sitting board makes up a quorum and an end to high polling members who miss out on the roles of President, Treasurer or Secretary being automatically elected Executive members. There would need to be 25, rather than 20, GABA members at an AGM for a vote to be carried, and members would need to be paid up for at least 14 days previous to have their say. Proxy voting would be allowed for the first time, if presented in writing from a financial or life member who is eligible to vote – as long as a representative is present at the actual vote. Concessions for membership for tertiary students and over-65s would be introduced, along with Life Memberships. Small and medium enterprises would be allowed up to two votes each, corporates would be allowed three votes and community organisations one vote. Other changes include removing a clause allowing the Executive to borrow money, if such a move received support in a resolution at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting. The explanatory notes say the GABA Trust has always underwritten the organisation in any time of financial stress, and GABA has ability to hold sufficient funds to run every day business needs The new constitution would also mention the role of the GABA Charitable Trust, which the previous one did not. Current President Heather Carnegie is running unopposed to keep the role, as is Treasurer Roger Hiscock. Nominations for Secretary remain open. Those running for positions on the Executive are Sheryl Glasse, Charlotte Lee, Richard Pereira, Richy James, Koro Dickinson, Murray Smallfield and Sebastian Obermeier. The meeting will be held at The Oak Room on Drake Street at 6PM today.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 8th July 2015 - 9:07am