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Date Posted: 15:41:30 04/10/03 Thu
Author Host/IP: a3hu7fzy193i.bc.hsia.telus.net/207.6.247.114
http://jimprentice.org/en/news/clip-sheaf20030314.html
PC LEADERSHIP CANDIDATE LIKES TAX REBATES
University of Saskatchewan Sheaf
14 Mar 2003
Byline: Mark Ferguson
Canada's Progressive Conservative party is more socially minded than some would expect. PC leadership candidate Jim Prentice is a glowing example of how a fundamentally right-wing party could see the sustainability of key issues in Canada like health care and education.
"In the world of tomorrow, for Canada to be competitive, we need to have excellence in education...I think it should be high priority," said Prentice.
“We should have the best educated young people in the world”
The current state of education is that costs are rising. Funding is down and tuition is up almost without exception across the board. But the problem, according to Prentice, may not be in funding. But rather updating the tax system as it relates to post-secondary education.
"As a student you get $60 a month tax deduction if you claim your tuition. That figure was put in place when I was a student 30 years ago. That needs to be updated to the cost of average tuition today."
Prentice believes the amount of rebate can be increased so that students can receive nearly all their tuition fees back with their tax rebate.
"That would simply reduce the cost of education for students in the sense that they can ensure the cost is defrayed by tax deduction. It's a very good policy."
According to Prentice this plan would still ensure a competitive economy.
"We should have the best educated young people in the world," he added.
Prentice, a Calgary lawyer, received his Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta and then completed three years of law school at Dalhousie. He paid for his education by working in the coal mines of southern Alberta, mines that are no longer operational.
Prentice's future did not always involve law. Prior to a knee injury at the age of 18, Prentice was going to follow his father's footsteps and become a professional hockey player. Prentice grew up in Ontario and his father was the youngest player to ever lace up his skates for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Maybe it's this knee injury that has left Prentice unsatisfied with the state of Canada's health care system.
"The Romanow Report hasn't done anything to help health-care in this country...It's just pouring more money into the system."
Prentice thinks more partnership needs to exist between the provinces and the federal government to create a system that's more innovative and more efficient.
"We've lost focus. We've lost the sense of partnership that's at the heart of this country. It's all a battle with the federal government, we need to get back to being partners in confederation."
With the amount of money being pumped into health care, Prentice feels education has taken a back seat.
And as for the war in Iraq: "I would prefer the UN exercise more authority. We have an obligation to deal with Saddam and people who are amassing nuclear and bio weapons. Canada should support the U.S."
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