CANADA House of Commons Debates VOLUME 141 Ï NUMBER 082 Ï 1st SESSION Ï 39th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Monday, November 20, 2006 Speaker: The Honourable Peter Milliken CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) Also available on the Parliament of Canada Web Site at the following address: http://www.parl.gc.ca 5041 HOUSE OF COMMONS Monday, November 20, 2006 The House met at 11 a.m. When I was in school, I had to take out student loans, which I subsequently repaid. Students today have a substantial debt load, and it is time we agreed that in Canada, no one should be penalized for pursuing post-secondary education. As well, it is always tempting Prayers for young people, early in life, to take a low-paying first job, which can delay post-secondary studies. PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS That said, even though we have some reservations about this bill, Ï (1105) on the whole we are satisfied with it. As for our reservations, you will not be surprised to learn that we feel that this bill encroaches on [Translation] an area of provincial jurisdiction. However, clause 14 of the bill CANADA STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ACT states that a province can opt out of the program with full compensation, and that suits us. The House resumed from October 2 consideration of the motion that Bill C-284, An Act to amend the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act (Canada access grants), be now read the second time In essence, the bill says that regular students can receive up to half and referred to a committee. of their tuition, to a maximum of $3,000. Students can also receive assistance for more than one year under the bill. Previously, Mr. Claude Bachand (Saint-Jean, BQ): Mr. Speaker, it is my assistance was available only for the first year of study. Now, it is pleasure to rise this morning to speak on the private member's bill understood that if students want to complete their post-secondary before us. This is a bill of some social significance. Aimed at education, it might be important to help them until the end of their students, it ensures that they have access to financial assistance to studies if their families cannot afford tuition. Up to $3,000 is granted pursue their studies. This is a long awaited bill. It is essentially for this. updating the legislation by taking the regulations made under the previous bill to incorporate them into the act. This makes for something much stronger. There is another important aspect to this bill: it helps students with I mentioned that the bill had some social significance because, disabilities. These may be young people who are blind or who have a unfortunately, not everyone in our society can afford post-secondary mobility impairment. They will receive assistance, which is education. I will cite the example of the aboriginal issue, which I commendable. As I just said, assistance will be available not only have had the privilege of defending during my first seven years here for their first year of study, but for all years of their post-secondary in Parliament. I would sometimes visit reserves where children who education from now on. completed high school were being told, “Sorry, but the band council has no money to pay for your post-secondary education”. With respect to the reserves I mentioned earlier, not only would Each time, I felt a pinch in my heart. To think that, in a country of this interfere with Quebec's jurisdiction, it would also fail to solve abundant means and resources like Canada, young people were the fundamental problem from our point of view. We think that once being told that they cannot continue school the following year. That the federal government corrects the fiscal imbalance, this kind of was just unacceptable to me. problem can be resolved in its entirety, rather than piecemeal. You are well aware of the fiscal imbalance. Members of Quebec's The same thing is happening in society today. We know that the National Assembly, including the Liberal government, have also number of single-parent families, for example, is growing. As a acknowledged it. It adds up to $3.9 billion. That is a lot of money. result, single parents often not only have a hard time paying for what their children need, but also have to tell their children that they do not have enough money to pay for post-secondary education. This, Student associations are now asking the government to inject a too, is unacceptable. All young people who want to continue their billion dollars into education. If we correct the basic fiscal education should be able to do so without worrying too much about imbalance, we will not be forced to take a piecemeal approach debt, which is another problem. every time, encroaching little by little on Quebec's jurisdiction. 5042 COMMONS DEBATES November 20, 2006 Private Members' Business The Prime Minister said that he did not want to encroach on Ï (1110) provincial jurisdiction. He also wants to fix this problem using transfers—by either correcting the fiscal imbalance or offering tax [English] points or some other way. We have to fix this problem, but that is not what we are doing right now. Ms. Peggy Nash (Parkdale—High Park, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak in support of Bill C-284, which would extend I have to say that Quebec's system is exemplary. I think we proved Canada access grants for students from low income families from the this in the case of the infamous millennium scholarships. Unlike the first year of study to each year of a student's first program of study. millennium scholarships, Quebec's system takes more than merit into consideration. While this bill does not address all of the problems in post- secondary education and is itself imperfect, I do support this bill. I I do not know the exact correlation, but often, students who do believe it represents a more progressive and efficient approach to very well in school had an easy childhood and wealthier parents— increasing access to post-secondary education by providing direct factors that helped them reach their academic potential. Now they are funds to students in need at the time when tuition is due. the ones getting the millennium scholarships. In my community in Toronto I have spoken with young people Quebec's program is more universal and based on need. If a single who have completely written off the possibility of attending post- parent family is unable to cover the post-secondary tuition fees for a secondary education. They believe it is only for the wealthy. child, Quebec recognizes this and wants to help. Increasingly, I think, these young people are losing hope that they can better themselves and make a constructive contribution to As I already said, I am grateful to the member who introduced this society. That is a terrible tragedy. bill for realizing that this is a provincial jurisdiction and that there can be a transfer with compensation. I think this will be quite I also speak to many other young people who have gone through interesting. post-secondary education but who are now living under an incredible, crushing debt. Some of them live with a debt of tens of Furthermore, we must take into account that there is a growing thousands of dollars, which is the size of a mortgage for some people number of single parent families. There is significant poverty among in some parts of this country. single parent families. The idea of helping young people who want to pursue their education has a lot of merit. For young people trying to get a foothold in the workforce, starting out with that kind of debt is ridiculous, especially if they are Earlier I was talking about students with disabilities. A description living in a city like Toronto, with our housing prices. They simply of that clientele exists. Significant functional deficiencies include cannot do it. I have young people coming to my office in tears severe visual disability, severe hearing loss, a motor disability or an because they are not able to meet the requirements for paying back organic disability, which prevent the student from accomplishing their student debt. daily activities easily and limit his or her ability to study or work. These students must not be left behind on the pretext that they do This is a pressing need not only for these young people, but for not have the necessary faculties or aptitude. I met some young our society. Post-secondary education is a public good. It is a social people who are blind and who have great intellectual faculties. Just good. If Canada is to remain a wealthy developed country in a 21st because a person is blind or deaf does not mean they should be cast century economy, we need to attract the best and the brightest, not aside. I think this is important. only the wealthiest, to proceed with their education. If we do not give these young people access to the system, we will We have seen huge cuts to education over the last several years. come to realize in a few years time that they will always have The Liberals, when they were in power, cut over $2 billion to post- difficulty. However, if we take care of them, we might find them secondary education in the 1990s and slowly added a convoluted contributing a great deal to society. Those are my thoughts on the patchwork of so-called student assistance programs, tax credits and matter.