The premier of Quebec, Philippe Couillard, has announced he was “serious” about implementing an unconditional basic income for all Quebec residents. This universal basic income, inspired by countries such as Finland, would replace all of the government’s current aid in revenue, such as welfare and tax credits. The Quebec Minister[Read More…]
Tag: austerity
Editorial: Deregulation at McGill should not necessitate an increase in international student tuition
The Quebec government recently announced a new round of budget cuts to university funding for the 2016-2017 academic year. As a means of mitigating the blow, however, the government is rumoured to also have given Quebec universities the green light to raise tuition for international students to the tune of up[Read More…]
Letter to the editor: Crowdfunding and austerity
Thank you for your thoughtful editorial on the relationship between philanthropy and government funding (“When austerity strikes, McGill turns to crowdfunding,” Feb. 9). I agree wholeheartedly with your central argument that fundraising – whether through crowdfunding or other mechanisms – is no substitute for a government funding model that fully[Read More…]
Quebec finance minister holds pre-budgetary town hall at McGill
Quebec Finance Minister Carlos Leitão, participated in a town hall meeting on the upcoming provincial budget revision at the Desautels Faculty of Management on Monday, Feb. 15, fielding questions from both students and professors on public finance, environmental economic policy, and Quebec’s changing tax structure. The town hall addressed three[Read More…]
Editorial: Narrowing the scope of student politics in SSMU
Last Thursday, Nov. 26, the Students' Society of McGill University (SSMU) held a forum on restructuring the SSMU executive positions. It has been 10 years since the portfolios of executives were laid out in their current form; in that time, SSMU has grown such that these roles are no longer[Read More…]
Commentary: McGill administration’s response to austerity falls short
Given that McGill is currently in a dire financial situation, it is surprising that the administration has not taken a firm stance against austerity. The university has projected that its accumulated deficit will rise to $96.3 million by the end of 2016. McGill’s funding problems are largely due to the[Read More…]
SSMU, Anti-Austerity McGill stand in solidarity with Quebec teachers’ unions
On Sept. 30, around 34,000 supporters of the Fédération Autonome de l’Enseignement (FAE) protested austerity measures imposed by the Quebec government by marching to Square Victoria. The FAE represents eight teachers’ unions, and encompasses teachers from elementary and high schools in Montreal and its surrounding region. The 2015-2016 provincial budget[Read More…]
Letter to the Editor: Not enough weeks in a year
Last week, The Tribune published an opinion piece "Too many weeks in a year," in which Norman Yallen questioned the effectiveness of Anti-Austerity Week, Indigenous Awareness Week, and Divest McGill’s Fossil Free Week. Yallen lamented the apathy of McGill students, argued that such week-long campaigns do little to encourage involvement. The[Read More…]
Commentary: What austerity means for the children of Quebec
Every week, I go to Ecole FACE to volunteer at an after school program, taking the students around Montreal to explore the community. As I arrived for my shift last week, I was surprised to find myself greeted by gloomy expressions from the children, shades different from their usual chipper[Read More…]
Inaugural Anti-Austerity Week aims to educate students
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) held its first ever Anti-Austerity Week Sept. 14 through 18. According to SSMU Vice-President (VP) External Affairs Emily Boytinck, the events and workshops were intended to educate the McGill community. “The purpose of Anti-Austerity Week was to develop baseline public education for folks[Read More…]
