Paul
      Martin
      and
      the
      role
      of
      education
     
     
      in
      today's
      modern
      society
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Kent
      J.
      Bruyneel
     
     
      EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CHARLOTTETOWN
      (CUP)
      -
     
     
      The
      promotion
      ofa
      thriving
      student
     
     
      class
      is
      the
      most
      important
     
     
      priority
      for
      a
      successful
      modern
     
     
      society,
      says
      Canada's
      federal
     
     
      finance
      minister.
     
    

    
     
      "In
      the
      knowledge
      economy
     
     
      your
      greatest
      natural
      resource
      is
      in
     
     
      fact
      your
      younger
      minds,"
      said
      Paul
     
     
      Martin
      in
      an
      exclusive
      interview
     
     
      with
      Canadian
      University
      Press.
      "So
     
     
      they
      [students]
      really
      are
      the
     
     
      number
      one
      priority
      as
      far
      as
      I'm
     
     
      concermed."
     
    

    
     
      In
      Charlottetown
      to
      address
     
     
      a
      University
      of
      Prince
      Edward
     
     
      Island
      Business
      Society
      function,
     
     
      Martin
      stressed
      his
      government's
     
     
      commitment
      to
      the
      funding
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      education.
     
     
      During
      his
      interview
      with
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CUP,
      Martin
      pointed
      to
      diverse
     
     
      government
      programs
      aimed
      at
     
     
      helping
      students
      pay
      tuition,
      making
     
     
      the
      student
      loan
      system
      more
     
     
      accessible
      and
      flexible,
      and
      helping
     
     
      academic
      institutions
      with
     
     
      infrastructure
      and
      basic
      research
     
     
      programs.
     
    

    
     
      "We
      have
      made
      it
      very
      clear
     
     
      that
      our
      priority,
      as
      a
      government
     
     
      is,
      in
      fact,
      education
      and
      health
     
    
   
   
    
     
      care,"
      the
      finance
      minister
      said.
     
     
      When
      asked
      about
      criticisms
     
     
      of
      the
      Millennium
      Scholarship
     
     
      Foundantion,
      Martin
      said
      the
     
     
      problem
      lies
      with
      the
      provinces.
     
     
      He
      encouraged
      people
      to
     
     
      voice
      their
      displeasure
      if
      their
     
     
      province
      reduces
      a
      student's
     
     
      provincial
      loan
      by
      the
      same
      amount
     
     
      they
      receive
      from
      the
      federal
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      the
      importance
      of
      higher
     
     
      education."
     
    

    
     
      The
      Millennium
      scholarships
     
     
      were
      supposed
      to
      be
      new
      money,
     
     
      Martin
      said,
      on
      top
      of
      the
      existing
     
     
      help
      students
      now
      have
      in
      paying
     
     
      back
      their
      tuition.
     
    

    
     
      He
      also
      defended
      the
     
     
      Canadian
      Health
      and
      Social
     
     
      Transfers
      (CHST)
      program,
      which
     
     
      provides
      federal
      money
      to
      the
     
     
      provinces,
      as
      a
      successful
      and
     
     
      important
      tool
      to
      fund
      of
     
     
      universities.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "|
      just
      don't
      think
      that's
      acceptable
      that
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      provinces
      woul
     
    
   
   
    
     
      out
      of
      the
      pOCKetS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      millennium
      fund,
      as
      is
      the
      case
      in
     
     
      Ontario.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "I
      just
      don't
      think
      that's
     
     
      acceptable
      that
      the
      provinces
      would
     
     
      take
      that
      money
      out
      of
      the
      pockets
     
     
      of
      students,"
      he
      said.
      "
      I
      think
      it
      is
     
     
      incredibly
      short
      sighted
      and
      I
      think
     
     
      that
      people
      ought
      to
      say
      that."
     
    

    
     
      Martin
      also
      critiqued
      the
     
     
      provinces
      for
      a,
      "lack
      of
      recognition
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      students
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "Education
      is
      not
      removed
     
    
   
   
    
     
      from
      the
      CHST,
      the
      CHST
      has
     
     
      education
      very
      much
      in
      mind,”
      he
     
    
   
   
    
     
      said.
     
    

    
     
      "We
      are
      increasing
      the
     
     
      transfers
      to
      the
      provinces,
      every
     
     
      single
      year
      in
      the
      last
      four
      years
      we
     
     
      have
      increased
      those
      transfers
      and
     
     
      its’
      our
      intention
      to
      keep
      on
      doing
     
     
      that."
     
    

    
     
      As
      to
      the
      issue
      of
      whether
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dr
      Ler
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
           
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Canada’s
      Minister
      of
      Finance,
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      education
      should
      be
      treated
      as
      a
     
     
      social
      program,
      along
      the
      same
      lines
     
     
      as
      health
      care,
      Martin
      spoke
      of
      a
     
     
      difficulty
      in
      distinguishing
      between
     
     
      social
      and
      economic
      programs.
     
    

    
     
      He
      reinforced,
      however,
      his
     
     
      belief
      that
      education
      is
      the
      crucial
     
     
      building
      block
      to
      a
      fruitful
      society.
     
    

    
     
      "You
      cannot
      build
      a
      modern
     
     
      society,
      let
      alone
      a
      modern
     
     
      economy
      unless
      you
      invest
      in
     
     
      people's
      minds,"
      he
      said.
      "[But]
      the
     
     
      line
      where
      social
      programs
      drop
      off
     
     
      and
      economic
      programs
      begin
      or
     
     
      vice
      versa
      is
      probably
      grey.
      There
     
     
      is
      not
      a
      clear
      delineation,
      but
     
     
      education
      is
      essential
      if
      you
      are
     
     
      going
      to
      narrow
      the
      gap
      between
     
     
      the
      rich
      and
      the
      poor."
     
    

    
     
      Martin
      also
      emphasized
      that
     
     
      governments,
      at
      all
      levels,
      need
      to
     
     
      understand
      the
      importance
      of
      a
     
     
      financial
      commitment
      to
      the
      funding
     
     
      of
      higher
      education.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      When
      asked
      about
      the
     
     
      exemption
      of
      students
      trom
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Bankruptcy
      Act,
      which
      has
      angered
     
     
      many
      groups
      including
      the
      Canadian
     
     
      Federation
      of
      Students,
      Martin
     
     
      defended
      the
      exemption.
     
    

    
     
      "While
      students
      are
      incurring
     
     
      loans,
      interest
      is
      forgiven,"
      he
      said.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      next
      page
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Paul
      Martin
      addresses
      the
      23rd
     
     
      annual
      Business
      Society
      Luncheon