Canadian Federation of Students grades political party platforms
The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) has issued a report card grading political parties on their election platforms on post-secondary education and research.On tuition fees, the NDP came out ahead with a “B+” as the only party with a plan and accompanying funds. . .
The NDP got a “B+” for promising $1.14 billion in new funding for transfers, and for supporting the proposed Post-secondary Education Act.
Canada Post-Secondary Education Act (Bill C-398 Denise Savoie, NDP)
Hate to say it, but the only reason the CFS rated them as such is because they have to give someone a good grade and can`t (for ideological reasons) give one to the Cons or the Libs. Also, they are the NDP farm team.
CFS is the largest student union in the country. And, the NDP is the only party promising any new money for core funding for PSE at the heart of the problem. Tuition fees cover some large percentage of total PSE costs, but it's not nearly all of it. As was mentioned before, the Paul Martin Liberals peeled $5 billion away from PSE funding in the 1990's and was never replaced. Canada is now said to have much more private sector funding in PSE than ever before. And Canadian students are paying highest interest rates in the world on student loans. The feds finance SL money at 4% and loan it out at anywhere between 8% to 11.5% There are really two price tags for higher ed in Canada - one for those who can afford to pay everything upfront and quite another for those who have no choice but to payback loans over a quarter century or more. Layton compares student loan debt sentences in Canada to having a mortgage without a house to show for it.
I believe the NDP has called for a seperate federal social transfer just for PSE. With bill C-48 in 2005, the federal NDP was able to press for and obtain a federal commitment for $1.6 billion in new core funding for PSE. However, by the time the bill was voted on and passed, the two big business parties managed to whittle away some $600 million of it by 2006 budget announcement. The two old line big business parties are committed to NAFTA and GATS and neoliberalism for defunding ALL social programs in Canada. Liberals and Conservatives have swallowed neoliberal koolaid and stand for the rights of marauding foreign capital in Canada not Canadian students or citizens.