2 over THE EDGE - Wednesday, February 8 , 1995

with Lois and Clark

In October Lloyd Axworthy,
Minister of Human
Resources Development,
suggested a number of
changes to government
spending. The Canadian
government is concerned
about the defitit, and has
decided to drastically

reduce funding to _post-

secondary instutions,
universal health care,
unemployment __ insurance,

and welfare, among others.
These changes, if

carried out, could change the
way Canadians have come to
be used to life

in Canada. Some have
suggested that it would
Americanize our country.

Point - It is a wise decision,
put forth by Lloyd Axworthy
to cut funding on
Government social programs
because | believe

that it is up to Canadians to
pay for their own needs, and
not up to the taxpayers.

TABOR ARMS PUB

Counterpoint - For one, the
taxpayers are Canadians. It
is our money that

Axworthy is dealing with
here. His proposed changes
wouldn’t lower the tax
burden on the average
Canadian, it would merely
use tax funds in new ways.

P - Students today are to soft
and pampered. $2.6 billion is
way too much

to spend on Post-Secondary
education. If a person wants
to go on to higher education

it is up to them to cover all
their own costs! And what a
great use of RRSP's, to pay
back student loans. When we
retire, what do we really need
to spend money on? Why
not use it all up ahead of
time?

C - I can’t beleive you are
really serious. If the
government doesn’t
encourage higher education,
Canada can’t expect to stay
competitive in the global
market. All students should

NAIL

have the opportunity to earn
a degree. It is almost
impossible to find a good job
these days without one.

P-For a very long time
Canada has been saddled
with an enormous national
debt. It is about time the
government did something
about it. If

cutting funding to social
programs is the only way to
do it then by all

means, the government
should. What is more
important to Canada, a high
international standing, or an
expensive social security net?

C - We can’t expect to have a
high international standing if
our population is
undereducated, unemployed,
or completely broke from
tuition fees. The best way to
be competitive is to
encourage such social
programs. This has been
shown in study after study.
For instance, post-secondary
education in Germany is

completely funded by the
government. That country is

still quite
economically.

competitive

P-We are a capitalist society!
We have always been and
will always be

one. If we continue to make
life pleasant for Canadians,
by handing out

medicare, unemployment

‘ insurance, or by subsidizing

education, we are not

only proving that Canadians
cannot fend for themselves,
but we are also

giving into socialist ideals.
We may become the next
great Communist

power if we continue. By
cutting funding for social
programs, we are

keeping Canada safe from
horrible left wing ideas!

C - It is true that right now
Canada is a capitalist society,
but not even you can predict
the future. A reduction in
social programs would bring
us closer to the United States

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SMOTHERED IN
MUSHROOMS
AND ALL THE

TRIMMINGS

system, which is not faring
well at present. That would
be a large step backwards. I
don’t think government
funding of education is
approaching Communism in
anyway. Canada is a socialist
democratic nation, and any
move to a more right-wing
position could only harm the
fragile system we have. And
you'd better be careful.
You’re starting to sound
paranoid.

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