Former Parti Quebecois leader Lucien Bouchard has openly denounced PQ policy and supported Liberal principles to raise university tuition fees. This topic has been on the table ever since the Liberal government decided to remove the tuition fee freeze.

“Twenty years . . . and the Liberals are up to something again,” said Gabrielle Lemieux, vice-president (communications) at the National Youth Committee for the Parti Quebecois (CNJPQ), in a French interview translated to English.

The idea of raising fees stirs up plenty of objections from many student unions.  Tuition would rise for every student, regardless of program or year of study.

Bouchard’s proposition is “the same old song we’ve heard a few times, nothing’s new,” said Louis Phillipe Savoie, the vice-president (university affairs) for the Federation of University Students in Quebec (FEUQ), the largest association of student unions in Quebec.

“It’s not a very interesting proposition,” and with current recruitment problems, raising fees could lead to a big drop in university attendance, suggested Savoie.

“We don’t look kindly to substantial raises in deregulated fashions,” Savoie added.

He also said these fees would not address the major issues in education systems such as financial management and planning and ignores students’ studying conditions.

Michael Rochette, communications director of the Youth Liberals of Quebec (PLQ), however, saidin a French interview the Liberal system is a “gradual and measured” means of raising fees as opposed to Bouchard’s proposition. 

He said Bouchard’s proposition would “cripple tuition fees.”

Rochette said even if these propositions went through, “these fees don’t even go near Canadian tuition fees.”  He also said jobs requiring university education have the highest salary, making paying back debt not such a big deal.

Lemieux, on the other hand, had a completely different point of view. 

“It’s not logical,” she said. “Students in Quebec have the same debt as other students do.” 

With the economic crisis, she said it’s “clearly not the time.”

“Tuition fees are already high enough,” and she said the Liberal’s solution would be to “search for money from students.” 

She said there should be more available scholarships and bursaries and have more awards based on student needs.

“Bouchard can have his own opinions, but we don’t share the same ideas,” she said. 

She claimed the CNJPQ, in the end, offered a more practical solution: Quebec sovereignty.

Alex Desrochers, secretary of internal relations for the Association for Solidarity Among Student Unions (ASSE), said in a French interview ASSE students have already begun organizing actions on campus as part of their “manifestation movement.” 

He said he believes there should be bursary reforms to give to students with talents, rather than marks. He also suggested a progressive tax system, and adjusting funding in terms of usage.

If these raises are implemented, drops in university enrollment would be unavoidable, especially with an aging population. As Savoie stated, recruitment to universities has already been an issue and raising tuition fees would not be a practical solution.

According to a study by the Quebec Ministry of Education, 28 per cent of Quebecois youths aged 19 do not have a high school diploma, let alone enrollment in university.

 “Education is a right, not a privilege. We shouldn’t be paying for it. Education may be an economic development for them, but for us, it’s a social one.” said Desrochers.