Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities Mary Anne Chambers committed to the tuition freeze for both regulated and deregulated programs when questioned by MPP Richard Patten in the Ontario legislature on Monday.
In her response to a question from Patten she said, "I am happy to tell the member and the people of Ottawa Centre, and in fact all of the people of Ontario, who I know are very interested in this particular item, that we are committed to the freeze of tuition fees at the regulated and deregulated level."
Her statements were recorded in the Hansard, which is the official verbatim report of debates in the legislature.
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO
Monday 29 March 2004
TUITION
Mr Richard Patten (Ottawa Centre): My question is to the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. Students in Ottawa are telling me that they are worried about the affordability of their post-secondary education. I particularly heard from students in law and in medicine who have been saddled with tuition fees that have spiralled out of control thanks to the former government's policy on releasing and deregulating these particular programs and, of course, the underfunding generally speaking.
According to Stats Canada, post-secondary tuition fees have increased by over 131%. That's the largest increase in all of Canada. So, Minister, I want to ask you, can you confirm today whether the freeze that the McGuinty government announced in fact is truly coming to pass for college and university students, and would this freeze include deregulated programs like law and medicine?
Hon Mary Anne V. Chambers (Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities): I want to thank my colleague the member for Ottawa Centre for that question. I have actually been dying to tell the House that we are unwavering. That commitment was made in November in the throne speech, and I am happy to say that the Premier and my colleagues have been entirely behind adhering to that commitment. I am happy to tell the member and the people of Ottawa Centre, and in fact all of the people of Ontario, who I know are very interested in this particular item, that we are committed to the freeze of tuition fees at the regulated and deregulated level.
Mr Patten: Thank you for confirming that. I know that many students throughout the province -- not just in Ottawa, where I speak to students from the two universities that I have in my riding. But I'm sure you know that it's not only students, it's also the institutions knowing that if we have a freeze, they will in fact need some compensation so that they will not be hampered and will not be continuing with the underfunding that they have received from the previous government. So I ask you, will our government be providing our colleges and universities with compensation for this freeze?
Hon Mrs Chambers: I'm happy to respond to my colleague from Ottawa Centre. I'm also happy to say that, yes, there is good news on the way. We are committed to guiding principles that speak to accessibility, affordability and high quality education at the post-secondary level. We will not follow the kind of trends that the previous governments followed. We will not undermine post-secondary education. Everyone has told us that quality requires compensation for the freeze. There is good news on the way. I am looking forward to making that announcement in detail very shortly.
Copyright © 2004
Hansard Reporting and Interpretation Services
Office of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
