Education

Fairness for students with disabilities

September 3, 2009 Open Letters to Ministers & Public Officials

Hon. Diane Finley
Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6

Dear Minister,

In Budget 2008 your government made a series of changes to student financial assistance programs including Canada Student Grants. These changes recently came into effect this fall with some distressing consequences for students with disabilities in Vancouver East.

In previous years, students with disabilities in BC were asked to project their expected sources of income and expenses for the coming school term and the Canada Study and Canada Access Grants were allocated based on these projections.

September 17, 2009
Straight.com
Federal government reduces grants to disabled studentsPostsecondary students with disabilities are getting shortchanged with the new income-reporting procedure in applications for federal grants, according to NDP Vancouver East MP Libby Davies. In a letter to the Human Resources and Skills Development Minister Diane Finley (http://www.libbydavies.ca/parliament/openletter/2009/09/02/fairness-students-disabilities), Davies noted that in the past these students were required to state only their projected income and expenses. However, they are now being asked to cite their gross income as reported in their previous year’s tax return, and that includes grants received from the federal government.
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2009 Vancouver East Community Consultations on the Federal Budget

Updates from Libby

Dear Friends,

The federal budget is coming down on Tuesday, January 27th, and I have something to say about it! I hosted a budget consultation in my riding with community groups and asked for their feedback and priorities to help
stimulate our economy. I'm including a summary for your information.

Summer Jobs for Students Axed

April 11, 2008 Press Release

VANCOUVER - The Conservative government has cut thousands of dollars from the federal 2008 Canada Summer Jobs program. In Vancouver, this will mean a decrease in the number of summer jobs for post secondary students, as well as cutbacks to day camp programs typically run with the funding.

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Corporate Tax Cuts Won't Help Working Families

May 3, 2006 Press Release

VANCOUVER - Vancouver East MP Libby Davies says today's Conservative federal budget doesn't provide the serious investment that's needed for most Canadians. It doesn't warrant serious consideration for NDP support in Parliament.

"This budget is a lost opportunity for families, workers, students and low income Canadians," Davies said. "Instead of investing in new child care spaces, more affordable education, a cleaner environment, a better EI program, the Conservatives want to squander the surplus on more corporate tax cuts. Harper seems to have a long term vision for corporations, but not for children," she added.

Reply to the Speech from the Throne

February 12, 2004 Speeches in Parliament

Ms. Libby Davies (Vancouver East, NDP): I am pleased to have the opportunity to rise in reply to the Speech from the Throne. Whatever good there might have been in the throne speech, it seems to me that it has now all been obliterated by the events of the last few days and what has happened as a result of the Auditor General's report.