Nadya Bell, CUP Ottawa Bureau Chief

‘AWA (CUP) — Liberal MP Geoff Regan says federal
vernment grants to students should be extended to four
ars through his private members’ bill.
ada Access Grants currently offer up to $3,000 to stu-

ints for their first year of study if they are from a low-

ome family or have a permanent disability.
“What we're really trying to do is put pressure on the gov-

ent by having debate on this bill, by putting this before

House and seeing what we can do to get some action here
students,” said Regan, the critic for human resources and
s.

“Tt would be a considerable amount of money, but it
s to me that it’s worth while — that’s why the Liberal
proposed it.”
igan says there are technical problems with changing the

 

iberals propose four-year student grants

rivate members’ bill, CFS raising debate on post-secondary: education

grants through his private members’ bill.

His bill would make the current funding available over
four years, although he says it would not explicitly require
additional money. Any legislation that requires money needs
the approval of the party in power.

The Conservative government argues the bill does require
additional funds, and is out of order.

MPs debated the bill on Oct. 2, with Bloc Québécois,
NDP and Liberal members supporting it in principle.

Conservative MP Lynne Yelich, the parliamentary secre-
tary to the human resources and skills department, said in the
debate there are administrative issues with extending the
grants program. She also said there is not enough information

~ on whether more grants are needed because the program is

only one year old.

Regan said he was hopeful the bill would make it
to a committee — the second-last stage before it
could be voted into law. “We'll have to wait and see,”
he said.

Canadian Federation of Students chairwoman Amanda
Aziz said she hopes the bill to extend Canada Access
Grants has the right intentions and said the group will
present on it if it goes before a committee.

Aziz said she was encouraged to see debate on
post-secondary issues in the house. Students with the
CFS met with members of Parliament during the first
week of October to raise post-secondary issues.

“Part of our goal here this week is to get the
opposition inspired and active on issues around post-
secondary education and those that affect students and
their families,” said Aziz.

The Canadian Federation of Students also present-
ed to the committee that makes decisions on spending
priorities for the federal budget.

 

This week we saunter back 14 years and check out the Osher Press issue 4, volume 16; October

This Weekin # ‘*”

OP History

J.J. McCullough, OP Contributor

 

 

Top retro headline: “People are dissatified[sic] with accord proposals”

There are a lot of interesting factoids to be gained from this article, not the least of
which is the fact that the Over Press apparently did put much emphasis into proofreading back
in 1992.

The “accord” mentioned in this headline is of course the infamous 1992
Charlottetown Accord, a very complicated package of constitutional amendments cobbled

__ together by Brian Mulroney and the 10 provincial premiers of the day. In response to cries

that previous attempts at constitutional reform had been too “closed door’ and elitist,
Mulroney declared that his amendments would only go into force if they could win a national
referendum in a Canada-wide vote of confidence.

Mulroney’s dream never actually came true, however, and Charlottetown was voted
down quite resoundingly, with very few provinces showing support. Reading the OP’s pre-
vote analysis of the accord, the inherent flaws of the entire proposal process quickly become
apparent.

Author Karen Rempel offers a point-by-point critique of each clause of the lengthy
amendments, striking each down in succession with blistering cynicism. For example,
Charlottetown’s Clause 1 promised to enshrine special protections for all of Canada’s
“unique” minority groups, defined as consisting of women, aboriginals, French-Canadians,
racial minorities, and immigrants. That’s all well and good, writes Rempel “but it doesn’t men-
tion the rights of disabled persons, lesbians and gay men, poor women and men, people of
religious faiths, children, and old people.” In a nutshell, critiques like these represent exactly
why the accord failed. As far as Charlottetown went, it never went far enough, and the docu-
ment was so long practically everyone could find something wrong with it. This particular issue
of the Osher Press features a full, back-page ad hyping the accord purchased by the federal gov-
ernment, but alas, even that was not enough to save it.

Bottom retro headline: “Studies show fewer women in engineering”

 

SS