The Varsity: So, the NDP is working with the Canadian Federation of Students to replace the defunct Millenium Scholarship program with needs-based grants.

Jack Layton: We’re working with CFS […] In particular, on a piece of legislation that we’ve developed in consultation with CFS and teachers’ organizations and a broad sweep of Canadians. It would have goals established in law: the goals of affordability, accessibility, universality, high quality, and independence so that we can stem the drift toward for-profit corporate definition of research mandates. […] It establishes an ongoing federal mandate and legal obligation a little like the Canada Health Act does for Medicare.

TV: Is there reasonable hope for a tuition freeze in Ontario or nationwide?

JL: I think there is reason to hope, but not under the Harper government. We’d have to cancel some of the corporate tax cuts that both Mr. Harper and Mr. Dion and the Liberals have been pushing. They’re pushing through a budget right now, supported by the Conservatives, that will lower corporate taxes very dramatically and not leave the kind of funds that would be needed to pay for [a fee freeze].

TV: How was it that CFS and student politicians got involved in this legislation?

JL: Well we have been following the calls by student groups and faculty organizations over the years, for something to replace [the legislation controlling] the federal transfer of funds. In fact, we sat down and took their ideas and molded those ideas into legislation that we could bring before the House of Commons.

TV: Is it a matter of lowering tuition, or increasing financial aid?

JL: Tuition levels and aid are both key. In fact I’d go further and say that issues like affordable student housing need to be addressed. […] Oftentimes the housing cost is as great or even greater, sometimes, than the tuition cost. […] But really it would have to be determined at the level of the provinces in conformity with the goals of the legislation.

For instance, in Manitoba, there’s been a nine-year freeze on tuition. So what they might do around issues like tuition could be quite different than a place like Nova Scotia or Ontario, where tuition fees are quite high

TV: Alright. what about ancillary fees? Ontario student reps say they’re illegal charges.

JL: The federal legislation would make the pursuit of affordable postsecondary education a matter of law, and that could create a situation that could actually strengthen the students’ capacity to fight back against any unfair charge, provided the federal government was putting the money in.

TV: To finish with a softer question, as the leader of a federal party, you’re obviously one of the country’s most influential politicians. So the question is, what role do student politics play in what you do?

JL: Well first of all it was instrumental in my getting involved in politics in the first place [laughs], and that was at the high school level. Working with my fellow students, we were able to…to make a few things happen—they weren’t momentous or anything, but they taught me a few things.

I felt all along, in my experience—both when I was in city council working with student councils on a whole series of issues […] or now as NDP leader—we get some of our best ideas from student groups. Our postsecondary education legislation is a case in point. And also, […] it’s important that students continually press all politicians including me, and put our feet to the fire. And I think CFS was very effective at doing that around the Millenium Scholarship and replacing that money with a needs-based approach.,

Now we’ve still got a long way to go, but that was a heck of an achievement.