The
      House
      of
      Commons
     
     
      reconvened
      on
      September
      24,
     
     
      1990
      after
      a
      lengthy
      summer
     
     
      recess.
      The
      3%
      administrative
     
     
      fee
      on
      Canada
      Student
      Loans
     
     
      beginning
      September
      1991,
      bill
     
     
      C-69
      (freezing
      of
      funds
      for
      post-
     
     
      secondary
      education),
      and
      the
     
     
      unveiling
      of
      the
      Federation’s
     
     
      Strategy
      for
      change
      will
      be
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      focus
      of
      this
      term’s
      campaigns
     
     
      and
      lobby
      efforts.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      DON’T
      TAX
      MY
      LOAN!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      3%
      administrative
      fee
      or
      surtax
     
     
      on
      Canada
      Student
      Loans
      was
     
     
      introduced
      by
      the
      Honourable
      Robert
     
     
      DeCotret,
      President
      of
      the
      Treasury
     
     
      Board,
      December
      15,
      1989
      as
      a
     
     
      revenue-generating
      measure.
      If
      a
     
     
      student
      borrows
      $
      5,000,
      she
      will
      be
     
     
      repaying
      $5,150
      plus
      interest.
      The
     
     
      Federation
      met
      with
      the
      Minister
      of
     
     
      Finance,
      the
      Honourable
      Michael
     
     
      Wilson,
      at
      the
      end
      of
      June
      to
      discuss
     
     
      this
      area
      of
      concern.
      The
      minister
     
     
      informed
      us
      “thatifindividuals
      are
      going
     
     
      to
      use
      a
      program
      they
      are
      going
      to
     
     
      have
      to
      pay
      for
      it”.
      What
      this
      tax
      really
     
     
      means
      is
      that
      those
      students
      who
      can
     
     
      least
      afford
      the
      cost
      of
      post-secondary
     
     
      education
      are
      being
      taxed
      for
      going
     
     
      into
      debt.
      You
      can
      get
      involved
      and
     
     
      stop
      this
      tax
      by
      signinga“3%
      postcard”
     
     
      available
      at
      your
      student
      association
     
     
      office,
      contacting
      your
      local
      MP
      and
     
     
      expressing
      your
      concerns,
      and
      getting
     
     
      involved
      in
      the
      Federation's
      National
     
     
      Student
      Day
      campaign
      to
      stop
      the
      tax.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      4
      CANADIAN
      FEDERATION
      OF
      STUDENTS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CUTBACKS
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Inthe
      1990
      federal
      budget,
      the
      Minister
     
     
      of
      Finance
      introduced
      Bill
      C-69,
      a
      bill
     
     
      to
      freeze
      and
      further
      reduce
      the
     
     
      transfer
      payments
      to
      the
      provinces
     
     
      for
      health
      care
      and
      post-secondary
     
     
      education.
      The
      Conservative
     
     
      government
      will
      have
      cut
      back
     
     
      $3,277,294,000
      on
      post-secondary
     
     
      education
      spending
      by
      the
      end
      of
     
     
      its’second
      term
      in
      office.
      This
      means
     
     
      fewer
      courses
      will
      be
      offered
      this
      term,
     
     
      depleted
      library
      stocks,
      antiquittated
     
     
      lab
      equipment,
      high
      student/professor
     
     
      ratios
      and
      rising
      tuition
      fees.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Federation,
      with
      other
      education
     
     
      and
      interest
      groups,
      isworking
      towards
     
     
      a
      better
      funding
      formula
      for
      post-
     
     
      secondary
      education.
      The
      decision
      to
     
     
      fund
      education
      can
      not
      be
      dependent
     
     
      on
      deficit
      reduction
      mechanisms.
     
     
      Educationis
      aninvestmentin
      the
      future
     
     
      and
      must
      be
      viewed
      as
      an
      asset
      -
      not
     
     
      a
      liability!
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      STRATEGY
     
     
      FOR
      CHANGE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Federation's
      Strategy
      for
      change
     
     
      will
      be
      unveiled
      on
      National
      Student
     
     
      Day,
      October
      17,
      1990.
      This
      day
      marks
     
     
      the
      celebration
      of
      students’
      organizing
     
     
      over
      the
      last
      60
      years
      to
      affect
      change.
     
     
      The
      Strategy
      for
      change
      will
      outline
     
     
      solutions
      andalternatives
      to
      the
      current
     
     
      underfunding
      crisis
      of
      post-secondary
     
     
      education.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      These
      and
      many
      more
      issues
      face
     
     
      students
      each
      and
      every
      day.
      Our
     
     
      power
      lies
      in
      our
      numbers
      -
      over
     
     
      400,000
      across
      Canada,
      our
      voice
      Is
     
     
      the
      Federation.
      Contact
      your
      student
     
     
      association
      and
      get
      involved.
     
     
      Education
      is
      a
      right,
      not
      a
      privilege.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ———