Federal NDP leader Jack Layton spoke to a group of U of T students at Hart House last week to drive home the message that his party is making post-secondary education issues a priority.

Layton focused on how students and their families would benefit from New Democratic policies on education, including the restoration of $4 billion in education cuts implemented by the federal Liberals.

“We will fix student aid so that working people and the middle class can afford to give their children the skills they need, without mortgaging their future,” he said. “It’s time to build for the future by improving education and training, rather than spending money on corporate tax cuts.”

The “mini-budget” announced by the Liberals just prior to the government’s fall due to a non-confidence vote November 28, announced major corporate tax cuts that Layton repeatedly criticized in his speech. Finance Minister Ralph Goodale, however, also announced additional funding over five years for post-secondary education in his Economic and Fiscal Update (which the NDP have since matched in their policy proposals).

The Federal Conservatives have pledged no new money to post-secondary education, proposing instead a restructuring of the Canada Student Loans program, and new personal savings plans to help parents save for their children’s education.

Layton added that the NDP platform will soon be released, and will include restoration of the funding that Paul Martin cut from post-secondary education and changes to the Canada Student Loans Program to reduce the burden of student debt.

Layton reminded the group how important the student vote will be for this election, as “students will be on campus, discussing the issues,” creating a community that will increase the penchant for the student vote to be present at the polls this January.

The importance of the student vote couldn’t be appreciated more by Layton’s wife and former city councillor, Olivia Chow. Chow is representing the federal NDP in Trinity-Spadina, the largest of U of T’s two ridings. She is running against Liberal candidate Tony Ianno (to whom she narrowly lost the 2004 election) and Conservative Sam Goldstein.

Chow has spent the early days of her campaign honing in on the importance of the student vote during this election. Elections are usually held during the summer months when students are away from school, and are therefore less likely to vote. Estimates for the upcoming election, however, are predicting voter turnout for those ages 18-24 to exceed 80 per cent, up from the customary 25 per cent.

This will be Ms. Chow’s third attempt at a federal seat. She has been a Toronto City councillor since 1991.