The Gateway Presents: The NDP’s Bill 19
Where were the results of the tuition review? Would they ever be released? Why was the SU so happy about Bill 19 when they had been pushing for stricter controls beyond just predictability?
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Originally aired on the November 16, 2018 edition of “The Gateway Presents” on CJSR FM 88.5 Edmonton. Hosted by our editors and featuring a wide variety of subjects, The Gateway Presents covers timely news-, opinion-, and arts and culture-related topics pertinent to students and to campus every two weeks. Listen live every second Friday at 5:00 p.m. here!
After waiting for month after painful month for the results of the provincial tuition review, post-secondaries across the province were abuzz when the NDP announced Bill 19, legislation slated to include tuition regulations for domestic students. Under Bill 19, future tuition increases would be locked to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), giving students predictable increases in their tuition each year.
Institutions at the University of Alberta, such as the Students’ Union, gave a glowing review of the legislation, saying it was what they wanted from the provincial government and that it was a win for students.
Several questions were left unanswered, however. Where were the results of the tuition review? Would they ever be released? Why was the SU so happy about Bill 19 when they had been pushing for stricter controls beyond just predictability?
On this segment, I sat down with Kyle Monda, a fifth-year art and design student, to discuss these questions and more. Drawing discussion from a column he wrote on Bill 19 entitled “New tuition controls don’t do enough for students,” we discussed the moves the NDP were making, postsecondary response to the legislation, and the history of tuition controls in the province. Should students be excited about Bill 19? Listen to find out.
