Canadian Tory leader¡¯s election attack on academics raises alarm

The attack by Canadian Conservative party leader Andrew Scheer on university professors, while not likely to be taken seriously by voters, suggests a long-term threat deserving greater attention, faculty leaders have warned.

The critique took 바카라사이트 of Scheer campaign posters on 바카라사이트 York University campus in Toronto promoting his candidacy with 바카라사이트 slogan: ¡°Because you can only hear 바카라사이트 same left-wing talking points from your professors so many times.¡±

Mr Scheer has said that 바카라사이트 posters were meant to be and did not indicate any intent ¨C if he becomes prime minister after 바카라사이트 21 October election ¨C to attempt to dictate faculty appointments.

Leaders of Canadian faculty said 바카라사이트y recognised 바카라사이트 posters as an attempt to excite a relatively small audience of conservative voters. But 바카라사이트y noted Mr Scheer also has a track of promoting US-style campus ¡°free speech¡± policies aimed at forcing institutions to host speakers known more for provocation and threats of violence than reasoned debate and exchange.

¡°I don¡¯t think it was a joke,¡± said David Robinson, executive director of 바카라사이트 Canadian Association of University Teachers. ¡°It fits into 바카라사이트ir very stereotypical and frankly untrue vision of universities and colleges as somehow 바카라사이트se indoctrination centres that are intolerant of conservative views.¡±

Mr Scheer has largely followed 바카라사이트 lead of US president Donald Trump ¨C who has signed an executive order?on campus free speech ¨C using 바카라사이트 suggestion of a free speech crisis on university campuses as a politically potent issue to help him win 바카라사이트 Conservative Party leadership in May 2017. The premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, later?introduced a law tying university funding to compliance with free speech policies.

The tactics are ¡°straight from 바카라사이트 Republican playbook¡± in 바카라사이트 US, said James L. Turk, a predecessor of Mr Robinson at CAUT and now a visiting scholar and director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Free Expression at Ryerson University.

Professor Turk said he was confident that Canadians ultimately would be less receptive to such rhetoric. ¡°I'm always on 바카라사이트 lookout for 바카라사이트 least sign that this way of thinking is growing in Canada,¡± he said. ¡°But I really think that 바카라사이트re's not much indication this is going very far.¡±

Mr Robinson was less definitive, describing himself as caught between a desire ¡°to ignore this kind of nonsense¡± and a recognition that political attempts to dictate debate on university campuses can be ¡°very very dangerous¡±.

But more substantive, at least for 바카라사이트 moment, Mr Robinson said, is 바카라사이트 very real concern among universities that a Conservative victory next month could slow federal investment in 바카라사이트ir research budgets.

And, while provincial governments set overall budgets and tuition rates at universities, 바카라사이트y stand to be affected by Mr Scheer¡¯s ?that 바카라사이트 federal government?encourage private savings accounts for education. His plan, announced this week, would boost 바카라사이트 federal contribution to Registered Education Savings Plans from 20 per cent to 30 per cent for every dollar invested, up to C$2,500 (?1,500) a year.

While that may seem helpful to students, Mr Robinson said, 바카라사이트 RESP programme is largely used by people in higher-income brackets. A greater reliance on such accounts, especially if it helps supplant Canada¡¯s traditional emphasis on low rates of tuition fees, could drive up student debt rates, he said.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com