Ford quashes university expansion; leaves biggest budget-buster in place

October 24, 2018

TORONTO — Green Party of Ontario Leader and MPP for Guelph, Mike Schreiner, made the following statement in response to the cancellation of three university campus expansions:

“Pulling the plug on these projects is short-sighted and fiscally irresponsible. These satellite campuses were set to create educational opportunities in regions currently lacking post-secondary institutions. This decision hurts not just students and their families, but local economic development in some of the fastest growing cities in Canada.

The reactions of shock from local mayors and university officials reflect the hard work they had invested in making these new campuses a reality. Some of the projects go back a decade, and scrapping them means the time and resources already put in are wasted.

If the Conservatives want to slash the deficit, they should discontinue the biggest budget-buster of all, the Liberals’ UnFair Hydro Plan. This $45 billion dollar scheme is one of the most expensive band-aids in Ontario history and primarily benefits the wealthy.

But rather than choosing the most responsible path to balance, the Premier is quashing opportunities for students and communities”.

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