Download a copy of this petition here.
To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:
WHEREAS decades of chronic underfunding of postsecondary education in Ontario has created a crisis in the sector, forcing Ontario colleges and universities to cut programs, reduce student supports and services, close campuses, and lay off thousands of staff and faculty; and
WHEREAS the Ford government provides the lowest per-student funding in Canada, and made an additional $1.2 billion cut to postsecondary funding in its latest budget; and
WHEREAS an estimated 80,000 additional spots will be needed in Ontario universities in the next five years, to meet growing demand from qualified domestic students; and
WHEREAS Bill 33 distracts from the funding crisis by centralizing government control over student fees and admissions, and imposing unnecessary, costly red tape and bureaucracy; and
WHEREAS student ancillary fees support the delivery of vital student services such as food banks, campus safety initiatives, and student mental health supports; and
WHEREAS postsecondary admissions processes are already transparent and accountable, designed to ensure that all students meet academic qualifications and prevent the exclusion of qualified students because of unfair barriers;
THEREFORE WE THE UNDERSIGNED petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to call on the government to withdraw Bill 33, and instead provide Ontario colleges and universities with the financial stability and sustainability they urgently require to meet enrolment demand and advance Ontario’s economic, social and cultural well-being.