Seven in Ten Ontarians Believe Liberals Broke Tuition Fee Promise

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - April 16, 2013) - According to a recent poll commissioned by the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario and conducted by Harris-Decima, 69 per cent of Ontarians believe the Liberal government broke the spirit of their election promise to give students and their families 30 per cent off the cost of tuition fees.

"After saying they would provide relief from Ontario's high tuition fees, the Liberals are allowing fees to increase even more," said Sarah Jayne King, Chairperson for the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario. "It's no surprise that Ontario families feel cheated by the Liberals' rhetoric on tuition fees."

The poll also found that 77 per cent of Ontarians support reducing tuition fees and 76 per cent would support implementing a 2 per cent surtax on incomes over $250,000 if it meant making education more affordable. The poll was commissioned by the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario and surveyed 650 Ontarians over a two week period.

In the last election, the Ontario Liberal Party committed to giving students and their families 30 per cent off tuition fees. Instead, they implemented the Ontario Tuition Grant, which only one in three students qualify for. This spring, the government spent more than $5 million advertising the grant.

The Liberal government recently announced a new tuition fee framework that allows tuition fees to increase between three and five per cent annually for the next four years. In response, students have launched The Hikes Stop Here, a campaign encouraging students and their families to tell Premier Kathleen Wynne to take action on tuition fees.

"Students have had enough of tuition fee hikes," said King. "All across Ontario, students will continue to keep the pressure on the Liberals to keep their promise to students and their families."

The Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario represents over 300,000 students in all regions of the province. The Canadian Federation of Students is Canada's largest and oldest student organization.