Defending tuition increase, Premier Legault says survival of French language at risk

Quebec must raise university tuition fees for out-of-province Canadian students because the survival of the French language is threatened, Premier François Legault said Tuesday.

His government will raise the annual cost for new Canadian students from $8,992 to nearly $17,000 starting next year. It will also impose a floor price of $20,000 for international students.

This decision has been widely criticized in recent days, not only by English-language universities and the business community, but also by the Trudeau government in Ottawa and opposition parties in Quebec City.

READ MORE: Quebec to double fees at English universities for out-of-province students

In a press briefing at the National Assembly on Tuesday, Legault justified his decision by declaring that “the number of English-speaking students in Quebec threatens the survival of the French language.”

“Having a lot of English-speaking foreign students in Quebec has its advantages, but it also has its disadvantages when it comes to the long-term survival of the French language,” he added.

“So we made a decision that wasn’t easy, but was necessary.”

In Ottawa, federal Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez, a Montreal MP, disagreed.

Related: Bishop’s University criticizes Quebec plan to increase tuition

“I don’t think it’s the best decision,” said Rodriguez. “For me, universities are like a window on the world, and right now, I feel like we’re closing a bit of a window.”

Marc Tanguay, interim leader of Quebec’s Liberal Party (PLQ), reiterated his opposition to the measure, while Québec solidaire (QS) and the Parti québécois (PQ) said it addressed a real issue.

They did, however, offer some qualifications. “The right solution is not to raise tuition fees,” said QS co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois.

“There are other solutions to better support the francophone post-secondary network, and Québec solidaire will be putting forward an alternative proposal in the next few days.”

For his part, PQ MP Pascal Bérubé expressed doubts that the measure would reverse the decline of French. “For me, it’s not a policy for French, it’s not a measure for French,” he said.

“It’s more to take into account the fact that a French-speaking Quebecer who goes to study in Western Canada doesn’t have the same advantages as the other way around. It’s an inequity that’s being corrected, that’s how we see it.”

This article was first published by La Presse Canadienne and translated by CityNews