DEAR
      Prime
      Ministe
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      r
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ociwver
      1,
      1990
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dear
      Prime
      Minister,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      As
      one
      of
      400,000
      members
      of
      the
      Canadian
      Federation
      of
      Students,
      |
      have
      concerns
      about
      your
      government’s
     
     
      record
      on
      post-secondary
      education.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Federation
      |
      belong
      to
      represents
      college
      and
      university
      students
      from
      across
      the
      country;
      we
      meet
      twice
     
     
      yearly
      at
      general
      meetings
      to
      set
      policy
      and
      directives.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      federal
      government
      plays
      an
      important
      and
      often
      unacknowledged
      role
      in
      the
      provision
      of
      post-secondary
     
     
      education.
      We
      believe
      it
      is
      the
      government’s
      responsibility
      to
      safeguard
      our
      education
      system.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      We
      have
      always
      been
      a
      strong
      supporter
      of
      a
      federal
      presence
      in
      higher
      education.
      Our
      constitution
      states
      that
     
     
      our
      ultimate
      goal
      is
      to
      achieve
      “a
      system
      of
      post-secondary
      education
      which
      is
      accessible
      to
      all,
      of
      high
      quality,
      and
     
     
      nationally
      planned...”.
      ;
     
    
   
   
    
     
      An
      educated
      and
      highly
      skilled
      workforce
      is
      clearly
      a
      pre-requisite
      to
      Canada’s
      economic
      competitiveness
      in
     
     
      international
      markets.
      Undeniably,
      skills
      training
      and
      research
      and
      development
      is
      dependent
      upon
      quality
      post-
     
     
      secondary
      education.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Mr.
      Prime
      Minister,
      at
      the
      Progressive
      Conservative
      General
      Meeting
      on
      August
      25,
      1989,
      you
      stated
      that
      your
     
     
      government
      “will
      carry
      its
      fair
      share
      of
      the
      burden
      to
      ensure
      that
      all
      young
      Canadians
      receive
      a
      first
      class
      education
     
     
      as
      they
      confront
      a
      world
      class
      challenge.”
      Given
      your
      government’s
      record
      on
      post-secondary
      education,
      |
     
     
      am
      forced
      to
      question
      the
      sincerity
      of
      this
      commitment.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      the
      end
      of
      your
      second
      term
      of
      office
      your
      government
      will
      have:
     
    

    
     
      *
      Cut
      back
      $
      3,277,294,000
      in
      transfer
      payments
      to
      the
      provinces
      for
      post-secondary
      education;
     
    

    
     
      *
      Forced
      tuition
      fee
      hikes
      across
      the
      country
      in
      order
      to
      make-up
      for
      the
      shortfall
      in
      government
      funding;
     
    

    
     
      *
      Imposed
      a
      3%
      tax
      on
      student
      loans
      -
      those
      students
      who
      can
      least
      afford
      the
      cost
      of
      a
      post-secondary
     
     
      education
      are
      being
      taxed
      for
      going
      into
      debt;
     
    

    
     
      *
      Established
      a
      record
      of
      yearly
      cut
      backs
      to
      the
      student
      summer
      employment
      program
      -
      in
      1990
      alone
     
     
      the
      program
      was
      cut
      by
      35%;
     
    

    
     
      *
      Reneged
      on
      its
      commitment
      to
      research
      and
      development
      -
      the
      Matching
      Funding
      Policy
      relies
      on
     
     
      the
      private
      sector
      for
      maintenance
      and
      growth
      of
      research
      funding;
     
    

    
     
      *
      Introduced
      Canada’s
      first
      tax
      on
      books,
      newspapers,
      magazines
      and
      journals
      -
      the
      7%
      Goods
      and
     
     
      Services
      Tax
      will
      increase
      student
      costs;
     
    

    
     
      *
      Departed
      from
      long
      standing
      government
      policy
      to
      grant
      total
      assistance
      to
      native
      students
      -
     
     
      overriding
      treaty
      rights;
     
    

    
     
      *
      Done
      nothing
      to
      improve
      the
      quality
      and
      availability
      of
      daycare
      on
      campus.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Mr.
      Prime
      Minister
      actions
      speak
      louder
      than
      words.
      We
      are
      still
      waiting
      for
      that
      ‘first
      class”
      education
      system.
     
     
      Education
      should
      be
      your
      governments’
      number
      one
      priority.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      On
      October
      17
      -
      National
      Student
      Day
      -
      the
      Canadian
      Federation
      of
      Students
      will
      be
      releasing
      our
     
     
      Strategy
      for
      change.
      Our
      hope
      is
      that
      this
      will
      encourage
      your
      government
      to
      critically
      examine
      the
      state
     
     
      of
      post-
      secondary
      education
      in
      Canada,
      so
      that
      together
      we
      can
      build
      a
      better
      education
      system.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sincerely,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Bony
      i
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Penny
      Less
     
     
      Student
     
    
   
   
    
     
      EDUCATIONISARIGHT
      5