Tuition freeze not likely in face of ballooning deficit, says Premier

By Meagan Leonard

Speech: Premier Dalton McGuinty Speaks with members of the Rotary Club at Belleville's Ramada Inn. The premier was speaking in honour of the 90th anniversary of the club's founding. Photo by Giordano CiampiniThere is no guarantee tuition for college and university students will be frozen as the provincial government attempt to deal with a burgeoning deficit in the upcoming months, Premier Dalton McGuinty said today.
Ontario is proud of its post-secondary tuition rates, he said in an address to media while in Belleville this week.
In town for a Rotary Club luncheon, the premier said students should be pleased.
“Ontario has the lowest recorded rate ever of student loan defaults,” he said.
Due to increases in funding, more than 100,000 people have been given the opportunity to pursue post-secondary education.
While he couldn’t guarantee another freeze on rising tuition costs, McGuinty said it would be controlled in a reasonable manner.
Protecting the interests of college and university students was just one method McGuinty suggested for moving forward and protecting future generations - the focal point of his address to Rotarians.
Speaking in revolutionary terms, he brought his audience back to the tribulations felt by previous generations in times such as The Great Depression, World War I and II. He said ultimately the future is about the children and Ontarians must prepare for difficult times, meaning the implementation of sacrifice for a greater good is necessary because the “old world” or old ways of solving problems has died.
“The question isn’t what do we want to do,” said McGuinty. “It’s what we need to do - so we can look our kids in the eye.”
In this pretense he went on to convey a three-pronged plan, his government has developed to quell the current economic uncertainty. The plan will work to strengthen education, fund infrastructure projects and cut taxes for businesses.
Speaking to Belleville in particular, the premier promised that 60 new initiatives will be commencing in the area including improvements to Loyalist College and other recreational facilities - creating 1,100 new jobs. Loyalist received $16.5 million for a new Sustainable Skills, Technology and Life Sciences Centre, which will start construction shortly.
He also assured Canadians, improvements to the manufacturing sector will place Ontario in the forefront of foreign investment, as taxes are lowered, our population becomes more educated, and we move towards a higher class of production.
Because of this shift towards more intelligent manufacturing, McGuinty said it will become much more important for the population to receive the best education available. In order to keep up with our biggest competitor, the United States and the rise of countries overseas, McGuinty says his government will be making new changes such as full day learning for 4 and 5-year-olds, which has been proven to increase a child’s chance of continuing on with education.
“Do you know what makes us the best? We’ve got the talent. We have to make sure we have that talent,” he said.
Canadians must change to meet this new world, McGuinty said, because the conventions, which have carried us through past generations, are no longer applicable.
“We will do whatever is necessary to provide something better than what we inherited,” he said.