CONTENTS • Introduction Government Relations NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2011 • 2011 Provincial Election Special Election Edition IN THIS ISSUE The Office of Strategic Planning & Institutional Analysis is comprised of Humber’s Strategic Planning, Institutional Analysis/Research and Government • Ontario Political Party Relations functions. With the goal of supporting Humber’s vision of ‘excellence Leaders (p. 2) in polytechnic education,’ we are committed to fostering evidence-based decision-making that supports student success and aligns with government • Electoral District priorities and programs. Candidates (p. 3) Government Relations Activities: • Humber North Campus All-Candidates Debate Through relationship building at the political and bureaucratic levels of (p. 4) government we aim to keep Humber fresh in the collective political mind. These external government relations activities ensure that we benefit • Importance of PSE (p. 5) from a clear understanding of governmental priorities. Keeping our ear to the ground at Queen’s Park and the Federal level can act as an ‘early • Party Platforms on PSE warning system’ and alert the college to changes in policy and program (p. 6) approaches. • Response to Party In addition to ongoing contact with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Platforms (p. 9) Universities (MTCU) and other key provincial ministries, we liaise with organizations such as Colleges Ontario, Polytechnics Canada, the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance, the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC), the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO), as well as staff and elected representatives at the federal, provincial and municipal levels of government. Equally important is the internally-facing component of our work, which CONTACT US promotes information-sharing, dialogue, and alignment of key government Ruth MacKay, Director relations messages within Humber. Planning & Government Relations In this Special Election Edition of our regular Government Relations Ext 4630 Newsletter, we have collected information pertaining to the upcoming [email protected] Provincial Election in Ontario, scheduled for October 6, 2011. Jean Biers, Manager Planning & Government Our unit is available to provide advice and analysis related to government Relations priorities and processes, and to support Humber interactions with all levels Ext 5132 of government. We work with other departments on campus to maintain an [email protected] integrated approach to government relations. Find us in Planning & Development B302, North Campus Ontario Political Party Leaders This section of The Ontario general election is scheduled for October 6, 2011. Held every four the newsletter years, this Provincial election will determine Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) provides in the 40th Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Eligible voters, including those who are details of the Canadian citizens residing in Ontario and 18 years of age or older, will have the provincial opportunity on this date to voice their opinions regarding elected leaders and overall party leaders policies. and their political Running for Premier of Ontario are the following party leaders: histories Liberal Party NDP Dalton McGuinty Andrea Horwath Green Party PC Party Mike Schreiner Tim Hudak Dalton McGuinty is Ontario’s 24th Premier. He was first elected as the MPP for Ot- tawa-South in 1990 and became Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party in 1996, leading the party to a majority government in 2003 and again in 2007. Tim Hudak was first elected as the MPP for Niagara South in 1995. He served as a Cabinet Minister for five years in the Mike Harris Government and was elected the 23rd Leader of the Ontario PC Party in June 2009. Andrea Horwath was first elected as an MPP in Hamilton in 2004 and was the first woman to be elected as official leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP) in 2009. Mike Schreiner has been actively involved in the Green Party of Ontario for the past six years, and was elected as the party’s first full-time leader in 2009. Before this, Schreiner co-chaired the 2007 election platform committee for the party and served as Policy Coordinator from 2008-2009. Electoral District Candidates There are 107 electoral districts in Ontario, which are sometimes also called "ridings." Below is the list of 2011 candidates that represent Humber’s North, Lakeshore and Orangeville Campus ridings. 2011 CANDIDATES Electoral District Candidates Political Party 2007 Election Results Etobicoke-North Shafiq Qaadri** Liberal Liberal 54.85% Karm Singh PC PC 21% Vrind Sharma NDP NDP 14.85% Gurleen Gill Green Party Green 4.75% Etobicoke-Lakeshore Laurel Broten** Liberal Liberal 45.99% Considered a hotly contested riding Simon Nyilassy PC PC 30.67% to watch in the GTA. For details Dionne Coley NDP NDP 13.28% visit www.thestar.com/news/ Angela Salewsky Green Party Green 7.89% article/1050187--six-ridings-to- Mark Brombacher Freedom Party of Ontario watch-in-the-gta Etobicoke-Centre Donna Cansfield** Liberal Liberal 50.07% May Anne De Monte-Whelan PC PC 34.2% Ana Mario Rivero NDP NDP 8.4% Cheryll San Juan Green Party Green 7.33% Keith Pinto Socialist Party of Ontario Lori Holloway Liberal Liberal 32.01% Dufferin-Caledon Sylvia Jones** PC PC 41.85% Karen Gventer NDP NDP 9.86% Rob Strang Green Party Green 16.29% ** Indicates candidates elected in the 2007 Provincial election For a complete list of all electoral candidates across Ontario, please visit http://www.electionalmanac.com/canada/ontario/ridings/php To find out what electoral district you reside in, please visit http://fyed.elections.on.ca/fyed/en/form_page_en.jsp Electoral Candidates All-Candidates Debates Humber College North Campus—Sept. 20, 2011 In attendance at the event: Liberal Party candidate Dr. Shafiq Qaadri • Current MPP for Etobicoke-North • Chair of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Policy • Advocate of quality Public Healthcare, Education, Diversity and a Just Society New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate Vrind Sharma • Graduated from York University in 2009 with a Bachelors in Human Resource Management • Advocate for health, education, and social welfare along with youth and senior rights Green Party candidate Gurleen Gill • Registered Nurse with over seven years experience in the health care field • Advocate for change, social justice, affordable energy, and a financially, socially and environmentally sustainable Ontario Progressive Conservative (PC) Party candidate Karm Singh • Not in attendance • Advocate for tax relief and better services for Ontario families Humber Student Panel: Bryan Tran, HSF President Melissa Mendes, VP Campus Life, HSF North Hansel Menezes, HSF Board of Directors Humber’s student panel asked the candidates questions related to: • The affordability of education • Financial aid • Credit transfer pathways • Postsecondary infrastructure funding • The recruitment of international students and their support while studying • The growing need for postsecondary education to attain meaningful employment Following student panel questions, the floor was opened to allow students to ask questions on the following topics: • Online voting to increase participation • Investing in green energy • Helping those with disabilities • A bilingual Ontario • Minimum wage in Ontario • How parties plan to fund their postsecondary promises GOVERNMENT RELATIONS The Importance of Postsecondary In recent years there has been greater focus on the growing need to educate Ontario’s workforce through postsecondary education. Currently some 63 per cent of working-age Ontarians have a postsecondary education, but the government estimates 70 per cent of new jobs will need more than a high school degree. Since 2002, schools have taken in an extra 140,000 students, and the Ontario Ministry of Train- ing, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) estimates that 53,000 to 86,000 more degree spaces will be needed by 2021 to meet student demand. With particular pressures in the GTA, many schools will continue to expand to meet these needs. Ontario’s general population is concerned about these issues as well, as found through a poll commissioned by the College Student Alliance (CSA) and the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alli- ance (OUSA). The poll found that more than nine in ten Ontarians believe post-secondary educa- tion is important to the economic prosperity of the Province. The majority of respondents are concerned about the cost of college and university for students and are willing to pay more in taxes to address this. With the release of all party platforms prior to the election, it is clear that postsecondary educa- tion continues to be a prominent issue. All parties realize that a more educated and better trained labour force creates more value, as outlined in the following pages through each party’s platforms on postsecondary education. Party Platforms on Postsecondary Education Postsecondary LIBERAL PARTY PC PARTY NEW DEMOCRATIC GREEN PARTY Issues PARTY This section of the newsletter Tuition Support all middle-class On- Freeze tuition fees for col- Freeze tuition for the 2012- provides tario families with a 30% lege, undergraduate, and 13 school year while main- details of each across-the-board PSE under- graduate students over the taining university and col- Provincial graduate tuition grant. Every next 4 years (an investment lege budgets; index tuition party’s year, a University student of $365-M over four years). increases to the rate of infla- platforms on would save $1,600 and a Col-