Meanwhile, Interim Progressive Conservative Leader Bruce Fitch says the free tuition bill is not as inclusive as it should be.
He would have preferred a sliding scale, and an option for students who qualify to choose private universities.
“We were concerned that the Premier was taking away from about 40,000 people,” says Fitch. “And we were trying to make amendments that would include those people as well as the folks that the TAB is going to help.”
Fitch accuses the Premier of using political bickering to paint the Opposition into the corner.
“We thought there should have been an option for the students who qualified to choose private universities, because there are some folks that want to go to programs that aren’t offered at the five universities here in the province,” says Fitch.
He says the government moved too quickly, and the PCs are concerned about new information showing the Tuition Access Bursary is taxable.
Fitch says they don’t know the real financial impact of removing previous supports for students.
“It would be interesting to do the math sometime to figure out what exactly is the difference between the tax credit that was taken away, that was universal, versus this Tuition Bursary that is going to a few students,” says Fitch.
He does concede the Progressive Conservatives are glad the TAB will help the people that it does help.
