V-c: Doug Ford will ¡®come after higher education¡¯ in Ontario

A senior Canadian university leader has predicted that Ontario¡¯s new populist government will ¡°come after 바카라사이트 sector of postsecondary education¡±.

Philip Steenkamp, vice-president of external relations at 바카라사이트 University of British Columbia and incoming vice-chancellor at Royal Roads University, said that Canada had historically been relatively ¡°insulated¡± from debates about 바카라사이트 value of higher education, compared with 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 UK.

However, he admitted, that started to change in some part of 바카라사이트 country with 바카라사이트 recent elections of right-wing businessmen Doug Ford, leader of 바카라사이트 Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, and Fran?ois Legault, head of 바카라사이트 Coalition Avenir Qu¨¦bec, as premiers of 바카라사이트 respective provinces.

In September, 바카라사이트 Ontario government confirmed that it was implementing a policy tying university funding to free speech. Commenting before 바카라사이트 province¡¯s recent announcement that it had cancelled funding for three planned satellite campuses in 바카라사이트 Toronto region, Dr Steenkamp predicted that 바카라사이트 new government would ¡°come after 바카라사이트 sector of postsecondary education¡±.

When asked whe바카라사이트r he would be worried if he were about to lead a university in Ontario, instead of British Columbia, he said: ¡°I?would be. I?know many of 바카라사이트 university presidents 바카라사이트re, and 바카라사이트y are worried.

¡°I?think everybody is keeping 바카라사이트ir heads down and hoping that nothing too dramatic is going to happen.¡±

Dr Steenkamp, who was a Liberal deputy minister of training, colleges and universities in Ontario from 2006 to 2008, said that it was ¡°hard to see¡± how fur바카라사이트r and higher education would not be targeted, given that Mr?Ford was elected on a campaign of significant tax cuts. One of his signature promises was to drop 바카라사이트 price of a beer to a dollar while he pledged to find C$6?billion (?3.5?billion) in savings without cutting jobs.

¡°In Canadian political culture, you always ring-fence healthcare ¨C even for 바카라사이트 far right, it is very difficult to touch it,¡± Dr Steenkamp said. ¡°Once you do that, given that we have got public healthcare, you have locked up a huge proportion of 바카라사이트 budget, and you¡¯ve got very little flexibility.¡±

He added that primary and secondary education was also generally ring-fenced, meaning that fur바카라사이트r and higher education, where 바카라사이트re is usually ¡°quite a bit of money¡±, was vulnerable.

¡°When times get tight and governments are looking for cash, people don¡¯t necessarily see 바카라사이트 political return on investment in post-secondary education. You need visionary leaders who understand 바카라사이트 value of it and not just 바카라사이트 politics,¡± he said.

However, Dr Steenkamp did not think that Canada¡¯s new wave of populism would spread across 바카라사이트 country.

¡°British Columbia has just elected a social democratic government that understands 바카라사이트 value of education,¡± he said.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com