The newly elected Parti Québécois said it plans to axe the previous government’s proposed tuition hikes following their win of a minority government in the provincial elections Sept. 5.
In a statement written in French on the party website, newly-elected premier Pauline Marois said that despite the recent shooting tragedy at her victory speech, she intends to continue her responsibilities.
“Even in the minority, I intend to get results for people. My government will cancel fee increases by decree. Bill 78 will therefore no longer be needed. I intend to propose its repeal,” the statement read in French.
The tuition hikes, proposed by the former Quebec cabinet, would have increased university tuition from $2,168 to $3,793 over five years, according to Radio-Canada. Bill 78 was enacted as a response to the student protests, and regulates protests in front of post-secondary education institutions.
Temporary spokesperson for Quebec student federation CLASSE Jérémie Bédard-Wien said that while the announcement was welcome, it was hard-fought.
“This is not something that [Marois] dreamt up, it is something we fought for. She was forced [to announce this] because of the popular support and the popular mobilization against the hike,” he said.
“This victory can really be claimed by the students rather than the electoral system.”
Bédard-Wien added that CLASSE would be following up on the announcement carefully.
“She better follow up on those promises. We will be very alert,” he said.
James Meades, president of Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 4600, said that the announcement was “excellent news.”
“I think it shows something very, very clear for students in other provinces in Canada, that when you’re willing to make sacrifices, if you’re willing to protest en masse, when you’re willing to engage in economic disruption, that tuition hikes are not an inevitability, and that there are ways to fight back,” he said.
CUPE had previously announced their support for the student movement against the tuition hikes during the protests.
