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Shannon Miedema response to our MP Candidates Questionnaire

Shannon Miedema

Liberal Party of Canada

info@shannonforhalifax.ca

Thank you for reaching out. Our post-secondary institutions are essential parts of our Halifax community, and I will always do everything that I can to support them. Canadians deserve accessible, affordable access to education. Should I be elected as the MP for Halifax tomorrow, I will absolutely be furthering discussions with relevant stakeholders to better understand the role that the federal government plays in supporting our students and institutions, as well as how I can be a strong advocate for the post-secondary institutions of Halifax, specifically.

Keith Morrison response to our MP Candidates Questionnaire

Keith Morrison

New Democratic Party of Canada

keithmorrison.ndp.ca

Keith Morrison shares:

Thank you for your leadership and advocacy on behalf of more than 5,000 academic workers in Halifax and across Nova Scotia. You play a vital role not only in defending fair employment for teaching staff, assistants, and researchers — but in ensuring quality education for thousands of students who rely on your work every day.

As the NDP candidate for Dartmouth–Cole Harbour, I want you to know that I share your concerns — and your commitment to building a post-secondary education system that is affordable, accessible, publicly funded, and fair to those who work within it.

  1. What’s your number one priority for post-secondary education?

Our top priority is making post-secondary education tuition-free for all — and supporting the institutions and workers who make that education possible.

The NDP believes education is a public good, not a private commodity. No one should be denied access to university or college because of cost, and no educator should be forced into precarious, underpaid work to make that education possible.

  1. Do you have a plan to make post-secondary education more affordable?

Yes. The NDP is committed to:

  • Eliminating interest on federal student loans (we’ve already made progress, but we won’t stop there)
  • Converting student loans into non-repayable grants for low- and middle-income students
  • Investing in tuition reduction programs with provinces and territories to move toward fully public, tuition-free post-secondary education
  • Increasing direct federal support to post-secondary institutions through the Canada Social Transfer, tied to clear conditions around affordability, accessibility, and labor standards

We also support programs that reduce non-tuition costs — such as public transit, housing, and mental health services — to make education more sustainable for students.

  1. Do you think post-secondary education should be affordable for everyone?

Absolutely. We believe education should be a right, not a debt sentence. The average $25,000 in student debt is a barrier to opportunity — and a drag on the economy. We must build a system that lifts students up, not burdens them for decades.

  1. What’s your position on student loans?

The NDP has long called for the elimination of student debt and a move toward publicly funded, grant-based education. While we’ve pushed for interest-free loans, our ultimate goal is to make student loans unnecessary through robust public funding.

  1. What’s your plan to ensure Canadian students can access opportunities in post-secondary education?

We’ll ensure access by:

  • Expanding non-repayable grants and removing financial barriers
  • Investing in supports for underrepresented students — including Indigenous, racialized, and low-income students
  • Working with provinces to increase base funding to institutions, reduce tuition, and reverse the corporatization of campuses
  1. Are you concerned about course cuts and layoffs at Dalhousie and SMU?

Yes. Course cuts, hiring freezes, and layoffs hurt students and workers alike. They reflect a funding crisis in post-secondary education that must be addressed.

The NDP supports increased, stable, and predictable federal transfers to post-secondary institutions, tied to conditions that protect public oversight, good jobs, and educational access. We also support federal frameworks that encourage provinces to reinvest in education — not download costs onto students and staff.

  1. Do you see a role for the federal government in funding post-secondary education?

Absolutely. While education is a provincial jurisdiction, the federal government already plays a major role — and it should play a stronger one.

We propose:

  • Boosting the Canada Social Transfer with strings attached to ensure funding goes to education — not general revenue
  • Investing in research, student supports, and campus infrastructure as part of a green and inclusive recovery
  • Creating national standards for post-secondary education, including fair labor practices and affordability benchmarks

You have my commitment to be a strong voice in Ottawa for students, staff, and faculty across Nova Scotia. Together, we can build a future where no one is left behind — in the classroom or on the job.

Flyers for Info Picket at SMU (April 22, 2025)

We are holding information pickets on campus about the course cuts at SMU tomorrow: Tuesday 22 April from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM and from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM. 

The picket will involve handing out flyers around the more common spaces on campus that see higher student traffic during the exam period: Atrium, Loyola, and Homburg.

Please consider joining this action! We are stronger collectively.

Meeting place: outside Loyola 170.

Email Neil to let us know you are attending.

CUPE 3912 Letters of Support for Striking Alberta CUPE Locals

CUPE 3912 stands with CUPE Locals 2559, 5040, 2545, 40, 520, 3484, 3550, 4625, and 5543, currently striking in Alberta. 

As precariously employed in the academic system ourselves, your colleagues and peers at CUPE local 3912 emphatically support your strike action. It is unacceptable that the government you are negotiating with is refusing to invest in its future by systematically and chronically underfunding its schools. We recognize the important work that your members do ensuring the safe and quality tutelage of our nation’s youth, and we support your struggle to ensure that your working conditions are as idyllic as the environments you seek to deliver. 

Please know that you are not alone, and that across the academic sector and at all levels, your brothers and sisters in the labour movement are striving to improve our collective situation and shore up eroding rights for workers. Your victories are all our victories, and we are honoured to participate and support your goals and ambitions. Continue to fight back against unfair wages, improper working conditions, and systemic disenfranchisement. 

Protect Nova Scotia’s Universities – Stop Bill 12

ANSUT (The Association of Nova Scotia University Teachers) is inviting CUPE 3912 members to join their efforts to stop Bill 12, which has passed the 2nd. With a majority government, as well as recent changes to the Law Amendments Committee that may prevent any debate in the Legislature, it could achieve Royal Assent by next week at the latest.

As an overview, Bill 12 would give the Minister of Advanced Education unilateral power to:

  1. Appoint up to 50% of members to university Boards
  2. Dictate that university research align only with government priorities
  3. Force universities into a revitalization process. Operating funds could be withheld if the university failed to comply. (Currently, universities can decide if and when they should embark on a revitalization plan.)

You can read more about the dangers of Bill 12 here.

Please consider signing this letter prepared by ANSUT to have your voice heard on this critical Bill that could restrict the autonomy of post-secondary education in Nova Scotia.