Denise Savoie

IN THE HOUSE: On Tuition Fees

Mr. Speaker, for 13 long years, ordinary Canadians and young people were left off the Liberal government's political agenda. The Speech from the Throne was once again silent on post-secondary education.

Will the current government also remain silent? We need stable, long-term funding for education to increase Canada's competitiveness in the global economy.

Will the government boost our investment in education?
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Ms. Denise Savoie (Victoria, NDP): Mr. Speaker, students and working families have waited long enough for relief from soaring tuition fees. We need an immediate comprehensive strategy, accompanied by a pan-Canadian lifelong learning and training plan, to address the skills shortage. What exactly is the government planning to do to address this issue now?

Hon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, CPC): Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government has several initiatives it will be bringing forward to encourage skills development for people of all ages, whether it is through our trades program, with incentives for apprentices and for employers to hire more apprentices into those skilled jobs, or whether it is assistance for university students, not through tuition credits but through relief on their student bursaries and scholarships. We will be developing programs that will help all students continue lifelong learning.

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