The ballots have been counted, the cabinet has been sworn in, and Justin Trudeau is now the prime minister of a Liberal majority government.
Trudeau’s self-acknowledged “sunny ways” come in stark contrast to the negative politics of the previous Conservative government. They are credited in large part with securing the victory of the Liberal Party, which returned from political purgatory with 184 seats.
An integral part of Trudeau’s success was an energized youth vote. Young adults were courted by Trudeau’s promises to increase the Canada Student Grant for lower income students, and postpone student loan payments until new graduates are making a liveable income. But there are doubts about whether Trudeau can keep each promise he made to Canadians during the campaign.
To be specific, Trudeau’s Liberals made three promises to students during the 78-day campaign. The first was a promise to increase the maximum Canada Student Grant for low-income students to $3,000 per year for full-time students, and to $1,800 per year for part-time students. This is a 50 per cent increase from the current system, and could make the difference between dropping out of school in fourth year due to a lack of financial means, or graduating from university.
Trudeau also pledged to put off student loan repayments until the students are making at least $25,000 a year, with the government paying interest until that point.
This would also be a useful measure if implemented, allowing students to get on their feet financially before having to worry about spending half their summer pay on student loans. A third promise was the allotment of an additional $50 million annually to support Indigenous students in post-secondary education who have statistically low post-secondary attendance rates. This is the sort of plan that would become an effective aid for Indigenous students who wish to get through school with less worry about their finances.
It is simply too early to say whether Canada’s newest government will follow through on these promises, and if so, how long it will take them. But students played a major role in electing the new government. If Trudeau wants to see students return to the ballot box and put a check beside their local Liberal candidate, he’ll have to follow through on what he promised them.
Trudeau’s promises to students are an important move towards making the financial burden of post-secondary education bearable. While it is a far cry from free tuition, which was promised in 1976 when Pierre Trudeau’s government signed the United Nation’s International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, it is nevertheless a step in the right direction. We students should not have to be nickel-and-dimed by educational institutions, banks, or provincial and federal governments.
Parliament resumes on Dec. 3, and first on the agenda is an income tax cut for those making between $44,701 and $89,401. If Trudeau’s government makes good on the promises they have made, students from all walks of life can expect to see less debt on their backs, and more money to begin laying the groundwork for their future in whatever way they choose.
Should he backtrack on his promises, students should hold Trudeau accountable and fight to ensure the burden of student debt will be lessened on future generations. Education is, and always will be a right, not a privilege.
