"It is unfortunate that Minister Ottenheimer was unwilling to eliminate school fees for the coming year," said Reid. "Parents have now received notification they will be forced to pay these fees again this year and there is no indication government is willing to seriously reconsider changes for 2005.

"The minister claims the decision is one based on finances, but I believe it is a matter of setting priorities for government. This government is more focused on implementing their right-wing policies than focusing on the negative impact their decisions are having on people. This is evident in their recent budget that increased user fees and introduced user-pay systems for other government services. If government were serious about strengthening social programs, they would not be moving forward with cuts to services and prohibitive user fees."

The MHA believes the promise made by the Liberal Party last Fall to eliminate school fees was a good initiative that should be honoured by this government. "This is not a promise that we regret at all. I would have been very pleased to continue as Education Minister and offer this relief to parents starting in September. The real cost to government would be far less compared to the relief it would provide parents."

Reid feels the decisions being made by the Conservative government are based more on political philosophy than anything else. "This is a matter of approach to governance and nothing else. The right approach would be to take each decision on an individual basis and consider the cost and benefits to the people of the province. A balanced approach in making decisions regarding social needs and fiscal restraint would have seen the elimination of fees charged to parents who cannot afford to pay. Instead, we see a government that continues to focus on the deficit, regardless of the impact on people."