The Canadian Federation of Students sent out the following release today:
Attention News/Education/Parliament Hill Editors:
Students Say: “Bob Rae is a Disaster for Affordable Public Education” Urge Toronto Centre Liberals not to Nominate Bob Rae
TORONTO, Feb. 23 /CNW/ – Bob Rae, a champion of higher tuition fees and deeper debt for Ontario’s students, is an unpalatable candidate for the Liberals in the riding of Toronto Centre, according to the Canadian Federation of Students. Both George Brown College and Ryerson University have campuses in the riding and many students from Toronto’s eight colleges and universities live in Toronto Centre.
“Bob Rae has been a disaster for affordable education,” said Jesse Greener, Ontario Chairperson for the Canadian Federation of Students. “His record as Premier speaks for itself and his most recent campaign to deregulate tuition fees hasn’t won him any friends among students and their families.
I agree with much of the release. My only questions are which students? and why are no students mentioned or quoted in the release? Could the CFS not find one? Jesse Greener is not a student, I do not even know when he was last a full-time student. He has been working for the CFS for at least two years now.
Source: CNW Group
Hmmmm… I wonder which CFS friendly NDP candidate they are concerned about gwheetting handed their ass by Bob Rae. I’d bet, when more becomes known about the NDP nominee, that this has more to do with supporting an NDP friend than it does about the politics of higher education. So much for being non-partisan…
Joey, I must say I am quite surprised that you agree with the CFS press release. It fails to provide a full and true perspective and uses half-truths for the basis of arguments.
Firstly, Greener’s statements neglect to note that it would not have mattered who was Premier of Ontario in the 1990’s as Ontario was faced with harsh recession compounded by a poor bond rating, both economic issues beyond Rae’s control. There was simply no way tuition increases could have been avoided in the early 1990’s and would have likely been the policy of any government. Frankly, the cost of education in Ontario would likely be deathly worst had it been anything other than the NDP in power. Greener fails to remember that student unions had been essentially ignored from the consultation process until the NDP government. Why would you not want a man who is at least willing to listen to you in power?
I would be unlikely to vote for Rae but to suggest he would be anything less than an excellent Member of Parliament is both foolish and preposterous. His list of accomplishment, local, national and international, is longer than that of the current representative: Bill Graham.
The only legitimate factor against Rae seeking riding nomination is that he is seeking nomination in the wrong ridding. Rather, he should be seeking nomination in his old riding area, which is the riding of Toronto-Danforth and currently held by Layton. Now that would be a battle worth watching and likewise worthy demand in a press release.
The above poster is completely uninformed about the ongoing Rae-CFS feud. The CFS has been after Rae ever since he came out with the Rae Report which called for the huge increases in Ontario tuition fees. They harassed him then, and built on this during the Liberal leadership race by organizing groups of students to protest his press conferences, his offices, and to even follow him around while on the campaign trail. The opposition of CFS to Bob Rae has nothing to do with support for an NDP candidate, but their opposition to Rae as a member of parliament due to his position on post-secondary education.
Further, CFS is not a partisan organization despite what some people claim. CFS supports good education policy. While in some jurisdictions this may appear to look like support for the NDP, this is not always the case. The current darling of many in Canada’s student movement is Danny Williams, the Progressive Conservative Premier of Newfoundland who has cut tuition by 25%, and is talking about eliminating tuition over the next few years. CFS supprots good education policy, no matter which party it comes from. If Rae had called for the elimination of tuition, rather then the deregulation of fees, he wouldn’t have opposition from CFS today.
The above poster is completely uninformed about the ongoing Rae-CFS feud. CFS has been after Rae ever since he came out with the Rae Report which called for the huge increases in Ontario tuition fees. They harassed him then, and built on this during the Liberal leadership race by organizing groups of students to protest his press conferences, his offices, and to even follow him around while on the campaign trail. The opposition of CFS to Bob Rae has nothing to do with support for an NDP candidate, but their opposition to Rae as a member of parliament due to his position on post-secondary education.
Further, CFS is not a partisan organization despite what some people claim. CFS supports good education policy. While in some jurisdictions this may appear to look like support for the NDP, this is not always the case. The current darling of many in Canada’s student movement is Danny Williams, the Progressive Conservative Premier of Newfoundland who has cut tuition by 25%, and is talking about eliminating tuition over the next few years. CFS supports good education policy, no matter which party it comes from. If Rae had called for the elimination of tuition, rather then the deregulation of fees, he wouldn’t have opposition from CFS today.
Oh please, it will probably be the same NDP candidate who has run for the past 5-10 years Michael Shapcott. Shapcott is a good guy but I highly doubt there is any CFS connection.
I think it’s obvious to the CFS that if Bob Rae gets elected here, given his experience leading the Rae Review, he will try to promote his vision of post-secondary education within the federal Liberal party. That means tuition deregulation and income contingent loan repayment. That’s not good for the CFS or the students they represent. The CFS works well with some Liberals (they praised McGuinty heavily when he brought in the freeze, and same with Grimes in Newfoundland), including the current HRSD critic. However the Liberal party is what you would call “big tent” so there is a wide range of opinion in it. The CFS praises some of the Liberals, but it very harsh towards others – like Bob Rae.
Anyways, you are making a conspiracy theory where there isn’t one to be had!