EDMONTON – Sarah Hoffman, Deputy Leader of the NDP Official Opposition, issued the following statement today regarding a letter sent to post-secondary institutions from Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides:
“This letter from Minister Nicolaides reeks of panic and hypocrisy.
“The UCP gave a $4.7-billion handout to big corporations and now they’re pushing deeper cuts on Alberta’s post-secondary schools. Alberta colleges and universities are raising tuition, laying off staff, and deferring maintenance. Ultimately it’s students and families that pay the price.
“The minister writes about responsibly managing finances, after his government wasted thousands of taxpayer dollars on private plane rides for the Premier, nights at five-star London hotels for his staff, and a failed $82,000-a-day war room.
“The truth is this UCP government has lost 50,000 full-time jobs since their corporate giveaway, and now they’re panicking. The Minister is even telling post-secondaries to do some creative accounting and push today’s expenses into the next budget year, which we all know will be even worse.
“Alberta deserves better than this kind of panicky, short-sighted decision making.”
The letter signed by Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides is attached. Sarah Hoffman is available for interviews upon request.