My top issue in this election is education. As a student in Ontario I can testify that our post-secondary education needs work. Tuition fees are too high, quality is slipping and the student loan system is broken. Any plan that will help students deserves attention. This is why I like this announcement today by Dion:

• providing 200,000 needs-based bursaries of up to $3,500 per year by the fourth year of the plan.

• providing 100,000 access grants of up to $4,000 per year by the fourth year.

• ensuring that every student is eligible for a $5,000 student loan regardless of parental income.

• guaranteeing a lower interest rate for all student loans, extending the grace period on repayment post graduation from six months to two years.

Increasing grants and reducing interest rates receives two thumbs up. On average, students are $25,000+ in debt and this will help. Extending the grace period is also great (I know I will need that). I also like the $5,000 student loan regardless of parental income. This is important because many students are not getting help from their parents to pay for tuition fees and are prevented from accessing education because they can’t get a student loan due to their parents income. However, the problem with that plan is that in Ontario and a few other provinces, tuition fees have already surpassed $5,000, on average. So restoring transfer payments aimed at reducing fees, that Liberals initially reduced, would have received a warmer welcome but the overall plan is a move in the right direction. Praise is due when it is earned and today Dion pulled one out of the bag, keep it up.