Goldie Ghamari - Question Period - Supporting Ontario's Students

00:00:00.000 My question is for the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities.

00:00:08.760 Mr. Speaker, students in my riding of Carleton have consistently said to me that the cost of

00:00:14.680 post-secondary education has skyrocketed under the previous government. Mr. Speaker, I'm a

00:00:20.760 personal example of that myself. Since 2006, undergraduate tuition for Ontarians, such as

00:00:27.600 myself, has risen from an average of $5,000 to almost $9,000. Students and families are frustrated

00:00:35.760 that the previous Liberal government, propped up by the NDP, allowed tuition fees to increase,

00:00:42.400 making university and colleges more unaffordable for families and students.

00:00:47.520 Can the minister please tell us what steps our government is taking to provide students

00:00:52.080 and their families with relief?

00:00:57.600 Thank you to the member from Carleton for the question.

00:01:01.640 Our government has taken the unprecedented step of reducing tuition across the board

00:01:07.300 by 10%.

00:01:08.880 This is the first across-the-board reduction for all programs in Ontario's history.

00:01:14.040 This will mean a total of $450 million in tuition relief for families and students.

00:01:21.000 On top of this historic reduction, our government has created the Student Choice Initiative.

00:01:27.340 This will treat students like adults and give them the choice whether to support optional

00:01:32.700 fees.

00:01:34.240 Just like tuition fees, under the previous Liberal government, propped up by the NDP,

00:01:39.620 ancillary fees skyrocketed.

00:01:42.700 These steps will provide the relief to Ontario students that they need and end the Liberal

00:01:48.340 legacy of skyrocketing costs to post-secondary education.

00:01:52.840 Thank you, Minister, for that answer.

00:02:00.600 Mr. Speaker, through you, honestly, I cannot even begin to think about the hundreds of

00:02:07.240 almost thousands of dollars that I wasted in my 10 years of university paying these

00:02:11.640 unnecessary fees for things that I never, ever used.

00:02:15.240 Mr. Speaker, I am proud that our government is taking action to clean up the 15 years

00:02:20.600 of increasing costs for students and families. I understand that Ontario has the highest

00:02:26.020 tuition fees in Canada. I'm still paying off my OSAP myself. I'm shocked that the

00:02:31.220 previous Liberal government, propped up by this NDP, took no action to stop this. Can

00:02:37.120 the minister tell us what savings students in my riding will see because of this historic

00:02:42.980 reduction of tuition fees?

00:02:44.980 As the member notes, our government's unprecedented reduction in tuition will mean real savings

00:02:55.000 for Ontario students, and that is why I'm shocked that the NDP and the Liberals have

00:03:01.300 refused to endorse our plan.

00:03:04.580 While the NDP are more concerned about the bottom line of institutions, we are proud

00:03:09.560 to be putting more money back into the pockets of the people of Ontario.

00:03:16.520 In the member's writing, a student at Carleton University studying computer science will save

00:03:20.840 $970 next year. Meanwhile, a student at Algonquin College studying a Bachelor of Ontario Design

00:03:28.600 will save $860 next year. These are real savings for students and their families across Ontario.

00:03:38.040 Thank you, Speaker.

Goldie Ghamari - February 25, 2019