'Overwhelming' number of voters in favour of tuition freeze: CFS-commissioned poll
A poll commissioned by the Canadian Federation of Students suggests over 80 per cent of people in the province are in favour of keeping the tuition freeze for post-secondary students.
CFS-NL says the poll was conducted via phone by Abacus Data, and included a sample size of 500 eligible Newfoundland and Labrador voters.
While it didn't share the entirety of the poll, the organization did share the following statistics.
"Ninety-two per cent of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians believe that we must take action to help students afford to go to college or university," the federation said of the report.
"While 82 per cent of voters support maintaining the tuition fee freeze in the province, 85 per cent of voters support a policy of free college and university in Newfoundland and Labrador," wrote CFS-NL in a news release.
Where each party stands
Earlier this week, Progressive Conservative Leader Paul Davis said he would not commit to maintaining a tuition freeze, while Liberal Leader Dwight Ball committed to maintain a tuition freeze — but only for students from this province.
They must make investing in a tuition fee freeze for all students a priority.- Travis Perry, chairperson of CFS-NL
NDP Leader Earle McCurdy is the only leader who promised to maintain a tuition freeze for all students.
CFS-NL chairperson Travis Perry said the results show government must act to maintain the tuition freeze.
If they don't, Perry said each party is contradicting their promises to attract more people to the province.
"The freeze has been proven successful at recruiting and retaining young people to the province," said Perry.
'Financial stability'
At a news conference announcing the poll results, MUN student Hadi Milanloo said the tuition freeze was instrumental in bringing him and his wife from Iran to St. John's.
"This tuition fee freeze policy that Memorial had, it guaranteed a sort of financial stability for us," he said.
"That helped us easily choose Newfoundland and Labrador over Alberta and Ontario."
If fees were to increase, Milanloo said he would have to re-evaluate his future in this province.
The poll results come as CFS-NL continues to mount its "Keep the Freeze" campaign geared towards making sure party leaders maintain tuition fees for all students at Memorial University.
Perry said a tuition freeze would send a message that Newfoundland and Labrador wants to attract more young people to this province.
"If these parties are truly committed to growing our population than they must make investing in a tuition fee freeze for all students a priority," said Perry.
"Now is not the time to increase tuition fees and build walls around our province, barring skilled young people from joining our communities."