Kerry Tankard

Mike Heine writes about the actions of a Kerry Tankard on Vic Clubs Day. Student Choice had a stand up, and were collecting signatures in favour of voluntary membership of student associations.

A woman, Kerry Tankard, allegedly “ran up, ripped the signed petitions off our table, screwed them up and ran away laughing”. When later asked to give them back, she refused.

Tankard, who alleges she is a pacifist, sees nothing wrong with using force to deny people their democratic rights to have their views counted.

According to this account, Tankard is no better than a thug. There can be no other word for someone who behaves in such a way. She has no interest in protecting anyone’s rights, only in forcing her viewpoint on everyone else by suppressing dissent.

She appears to be a member of or activists with the Greens also. Maybe someone there who knows her can encourage her to hand the petitions back, if she hasn’t destroyed them.

I also hope that either VUWSA or VUW itself will consider disciplinary consequences.

The good thing is that behaviour such as that alleged to be Tankard’s is very rare. Most clubs days the various political party reps get on pretty well together and have a good time.

And finally if the facts as described by Mike are correct, Kerry Tankard might want to reflect that within a few days anyone searching for her on Google will find a record of what she has done, and that even in 10 or 20 years that will still be there.