(April 30, 2021) – Barry Petten, PC Opposition Shadow Minister of Education and MHA for Conception Bay South, says student’s shouldn’t have to bear the burden of administrative bloat and deferred infrastructure costs at the province’s post-secondary institutions.

Petten thanked the authors and contributors of “All Hands on Deck: Responding to the Challenges of the 21st Century by Leveraging Public Post-Secondary Education.”

When it comes to recommendations on the tuition freeze, Petten says government needs to be careful with its decisions based on the report.

“Memorial University has the ability to outright buy a money-losing location at the old Battery Hotel, it has the money to take a serious look at expanding with a law school, and now this report expects students to pay the price for an extraordinary amount of administrative spending,” said Petten.

“Government and the University needs to be certain administrative expenses are under control before risking the loss of the competitive advantage of the university by jacking up tuition fees.”

Petten says post-secondary institutions in Newfoundland and Labrador must be a central pillar of the population growth strategy for the province. He applauds the report’s recommendations of a closer tie to program offerings and labour market demands that could help address the demographic crisis of the province.

“If government harms the ability of Memorial University and the College of the North Atlantic to attract students, it’s our population that will suffer the consequences. The report’s recommendations of tying program delivery more closely to what local employers need is a smart step,” said Petten.

Petten also acknowledged the recommendation to allow Memorial University to be reviewed by the Auditor General’s Office, which he says is a positive step toward transparency for the institution.

Petten will host a media availability at 12:30 p.m. on the steps of Confederation building to further discuss the report.

Contacts:

David Maher

Director of Communications

(p) (709) 769-2216

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