FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
March 23, 2006
McGuinty fails to
deliver on quality education, public services: OPSEU
OPSEU President Leah Casselman
today called on the McGuinty Liberals to immediately direct
college management to allocate their budget resources where it
counts: improved the quality of education for students and
better working conditions for faculty.
Casselman also said the Ontario
provincial budget fails to rebuild public services and at the
same time continues to put corporate tax cuts ahead of the
needs of the most vulnerable in society. The budget plans to
cut a further $400 million from public services while
accelerating tax cuts on capital.
“The crisis in public services
funding is an absolute scandal when they are cutting taxes for
corporations,” Casselman said.
The provincial budget shows
that the colleges have the resources, if properly directed, to
improve the quality of education and resolve the current
dispute with their faculty, she said.
According to the budget
delivered by Finance Minister Dwight Duncan, the 24 colleges
are to receive $89 million more in 2006 that they received
last year. The budget documents show the colleges ran a
surplus of $50 million in 2005 and are projected to run a
surplus of $30 million this year.
The colleges are making profits
rather than improving quality,” said Casselman. “And the
McGuinty government is doing nothing to prevent that.”
Casselman also condemned the
Liberals for failing to alleviate the funding crisis facing
families dependent on the province’s social services, while at
the same time accelerating corporate tax cuts.
The proposed increase of 2 per
cent for social assistance amounts to only about $5 a week or
$276 a year per family, far below the rate of inflation, she
said. There is also no new money to help the families who are
being affected by the closure of the three remaining
residential facilities for developmentally disabled people.
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For further information:
Paul Bilodeau, OPSEU
Communications: 416/443-8888 Ext. 8780
