As the new Liberal government entered the legislature for their inaugural throne speech yesterday, students were present to encourage the government to live up to their words while in opposition and invest in students. 

 

Thirty students from Dalhousie University, King's College, and the Nova Scotia College of Arts and Design (NSCAD) stood outside the legislature greeting incoming MLAs. Students from Dalhousie presented a petition with 1,281 signatures to Kelly Regan, Minister of Labour and Advanced Education, calling for the restoration of funding for the student academic experience. 

 

“The Liberals held the previous government accountable for their harmful budget cuts and tuition increases,” says Aaron Beale, Vice-President (Academic and External) of the Dalhousie Student Union. “When Nova Scotians went to the polls in October, they voted for change. They voted against corporate welfare, against tuition hikes, and against university cuts. Now is the Liberals chance to implement changes that they adamantly pressed for while in opposition.”

 

The petition that was presented to Minister Regan, was also presented to the Dalhousie Board of Governors on November 26. “In October the Dalhousie University library exhausted its new acquisitions budget, meaning no more new books.” says John Hutton, student representative on the Dalhousie Board of Governors. “Students were left wondering how they could finish their course work after they lost access to scholarly journals. 

 

Government cuts are harming the quality of our education and it's time to restore funding for the student academic experience and the university’s academic mission.” 

 

The average student in Nova Scotia graduates with $35,642 in debt and enters into a job market with an 18% youth unemployment rate. Tuition fees in Nova Scotia are the third highest in the country, roughly $362 above the national average.

 

“In opposition, finance minister Diana Whalen once criticized the Progressive Conservatives for not reducing tuition and instead waiting for the rest of Canada to raise their fees,” says Beale. “The Labour and Advanced Education minister asked the NDP, while in opposition, why it’s okay to support students in opposition but ignore them once in power. We hope they live up to their words. The government needs to restore funding and reduce tuition fees for students.”