Conservative majority focused on job creation, strong leadership
Kate Hudson
Managing Editor
Campaigning on leadership and a strong economy, Stephen Harper has won the holy grail of federal elections: a majority government.
Harper made significant gains in the Toronto area and effectively decimated his Liberal and Bloc Québécois opponents, winning 166 seats.
A pre-election Excalibur poll of York students indicated student debt and student job creation were major factors affecting their decision to vote. Although Harper reflected on his record supporting the Textbook Tax Credit and the Canada Student Loans and Grants program for post-secondary students, the Conservative platform made few references to educational policy.
Some students are concerned about Harper’s silence.
“The future doesn’t look too bright for students,” said Rob Cerjanec, vice-president operations of the York Federation of Students (YFS) and a member of the Young Liberals at York. “Especially when we compare the Conservative party platform with the other party platforms, there wasn’t very much for students. It doesn’t look as if we’re going to see much change to programs like the Canada Student Loans Program.”
York South-Weston MP Mike Sullivan, a member of the NDP caucus, insisted that lowering student debt is at the forefront of the Opposition’s agenda, but is uncertain of the NDP’s influence in a Conservative government.
“The NDP platform included a plan for a direct transfer to provinces to lower tuition fees and reduce outstanding debt,” said Sullivan. “This is one of the first things the NDP will try to accomplish in Parliament.”
“Unfortunately, it is not high on the Conservative agenda,” he added.
Beth Corbett, president of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Youth Association, feels that the government’s emphasis on leadership and the economy is good for students.
“It’s easy for students to be pigeonholed into specific issues that are deemed to be youth issues. I think that we owe it to ourselves to look at the bigger picture. The health of the economy affects us personally,” she said. “Education is largely a provincial issue. Even so, Stephen Harper has made a commitment to education with the Canada Student Loan Program, Textbook Tax Credit, and infrastructure projects that have helped colleges and universities expand their services.”
Corbett explained that a majority Harper government would also help create more jobs for students.
“Tens of thousands of jobs have been created in the last few years,” she said. “Harper’s record [on job creation speaks] for itself.”
Although the parties are divided on the issues, students on both sides applaud Canadians for sending several young MPs to Ottawa.
Among them is 19-year-old Pierre-Luc Dusseault, who also holds a summer job at a golf course. He is one of five McGill students who won ridings in Québec.
“He’s younger than I am,” Cerjanec said, adding that he believes lack of political experience won’t necessarily be a disadvantage.
“I think [student MPs] bring a completely different experience to politics – the perspective of a student struggling to make ends meet, and an understanding of having two or three jobs at once. It will be up to these new MPs to prove their worth.”
Corbett agreed that fresh blood in politics is a good thing for students.
“I think it’s great people so young are able to represent Canadians at the federal level,” she said. “There was some indication during the campaign that [some candidates] did not take [the job] completely seriously. I hope they do take it seriously and step up to the challenge.”
