Elections Canada. Students Challenge Conservatives to Defend their Policies

The Canadian Federation of Students is calling on the Conservative Party to defend its education policies in public community forums. The challenge to Conservative candidates comes after an internal memo was leaked that instructed a Conservative candidate in Manitoba to boycott a campus debate, calling universities “no fly zones”.

“How can students and their families trust candidates that consciously avoid public dialogue?” said Katherine Giroux-Bougard, National Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students. “What are they trying to hide?”

The leak comes the day after Conservative Party Headquarters informed the Canadian Federation of Students that it was refusing to answer a questionnaire about its post-secondary education policies. All other pan-Canadian parties answered promptly and their responses can be viewed online at www.VoteEducation.ca

“Overcoming distrust of the political process is critical to improving youth voter turn-out. This cynical move from the Conservative Party undermines our efforts to build voter awareness,” said Giroux-Bougard. “The fact that they can’t even be bothered to answer five questions about post-secondary education says a lot to students about the party’s priorities.”

The Canadian Federation of Students is Canada’s largest students’ organisation. It is composed of more than 80 university and college students’ unions with a combined membership of over one-half million students.

Contact: Katherine Giroux-Bougard, National Chairperson Tel: 613 232-7394

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