OTTAWA--In the wake of the Report on the Nova Scotia University System representatives from the Canadian Federation of Students-Nova Scotia are in Ottawa this week lobbying Members of Parliament and Senators for a well-funded and affordable system of post-secondary education and measures that would reduce student debt.

The report, commissioned by the provincial government and written by former Bank of Montreal economist Tim O'Neill, calls for the de-regulation of tuition fees and raising or eliminating the cap on student loans.

"If the provincial government implements Dr. O'Neill's recommendations, Nova Scotia students would be facing massive tuition fee hikes while at the same students in Newfoundland and Labrador enjoy the most affordable education in the country," said Gabe Hoogers, Nova Scotia Representative for the Canadian Federation of Students. "These types of inequities highlight the need for a national vision for a high quality and accessible system of post-secondary education."

Students are in Ottawa as part of the Canadian Federation of Students' lobby week. Representatives of the Canadian Federation of Students-Nova Scotia will be meeting with Members of Parliament and Senators from Nova Scotia including Michael Savage (Dartmough-Cole Harbour), Megan Leslie (Halifax), Geoff Regan (Halifax West), and Rodger Cuzner (Cape Breton-Canso).

On Monday October 4, the Canadian Federation of Students released a policy paper entitled Public Education for the Public Good, a national vision for Canada's Post-Secondary Education System. The document contains five recommendations, the centerpiece being a Post-Secondary Education Act, accompanied by a dedicated cash transfer for post-secondary education. Public Education for the Public Good is available for download at www.cfs-fcee.ca/publiceducation.pdf

"Students are in Ottawa providing concrete steps that the federal government can to take to improve Canada's post-secondary education system," said Hoogers. "Unlike O'Neill's, these recommendations will actually improve accessibility and alleviate student debt in Nova Scotia."