$300 textbook grant
Kate Holloway (Lib Trinity-Spadina): The grant is a textbook and technology grant, to help with expenses at the beginning of the school year.
Tyler Currie (PC, Trinity-Spadina): It is the sort of sexy announcement one makes right before an election. Sandra Gonzalez (NDP, Toronto Centre): What is a mere $300 going to do?
Dan King (Green, Trinity-Spadina): No point in under-educating our people, and then bring in foreigners for high-level positions. So, we would be supporting this plan.
Environmental concerns
KH: 2014 is the target date for the closure of the coal-fired plants.
PT: The coal-fired plants need to be phased out, and in that process of phasing out we would like to install scrubbers to reduce the amount of pollution.
RM: We are against nuclear expansion —the waste is not clean, it’s dangerous, and expensive. We want to shut down the coal-fi red plants by 2014.
DK: The Greens are not in favour of closing down the plants, if it means unreliable energy for Ontarians. We need to gen erate a new Renaissance for wind energy.
Financial aid and OSAP reform
KH: This is something that I would definitely advocate for. TC: OSAP will be definitely be reviewed. In addition, John Tory’s plan is that medical students do not pay back loans until they complete their residency.
SG: We need to re-examine the qualifications for receiving OSAP. A family in Toronto can be stretched to the limits by the current system.
DK: We need to go back to a system where there are more student grants, and less student loans.
Transit and fare increases
KH: The fares are way too high, and responsibility needs to be accepted at all levels of government. We want to expand the subway system.
Pamela Taylor (PC, Toronto Centre): Our plan is to take 2 cents from the gas tax, and over time this will translate into $800 million for transit, roads and bridges.
RM: We want to share the costs of transit with the city of Toronto and other suburbs 50-50.
SG: We would also like to extend subway service up to York University.
Tuition fees
KH: There will be no tuition freeze, but I personally would eventually like to work with university students to ensure the fees are capped.
TC: Our platform is to allot $600 million for postsecondary education. We do not want to have an increase in tuition fees.
Rosario Marchese (NDP Trinity-Spadina): We need to accept responsibility and freeze tuition fees.
DK: Freeze tuition fees, but we also need to create a detailed plan to lower them.
Mixed Member Proportional voting
PT: I think [MMP] is a dangerous system. The public will not be able to select which members from the lists would be chosen as MPPs. Secondly, Ontario does not need more MPPs.
SG: This is a great reform. As a woman from a Hispanic background, I do not feel represented, and both women and diverse voices need to be a part of the democratic process.
DK: To have a system where only 50 per cent of the population find it important to participate in the democratic system indicates that we need change.
