Bill 33 is Ontario’s conservative government’s plan to hoard and preserve as much authority as it possibly can. It is anti-educational and controlling, a wolf in sheep’s clothes, claiming to protect the rights and pockets of students. Ultimately, however, Bill 33 is designed to remove student autonomy, divide the student body and silence voices that might espouse more left leaning views.
Overall, it’s fucking terrible. Here’s why:
Policies affecting post-secondary institutions only make up a small portion of Bill 33. The two sections that are there, however, are destructive to student life and access to education. The bill’s first problematic section, Section 21.1, is related to ancillary fees.
“Section 21.1 authorizes regulations to be made by the Lieutenant Governor in Council governing fees that colleges of applied arts and technology or publicly assisted universities may charge to students or require students to pay.”
Ancillary fees are a woe that many students (me included) have bemoaned forever. We’ve all been there: you’re reviewing your term bill and hundreds of dollars are being taken from you to pay for a bunch of clubs you aren’t a part of, and services you never use. At a glance, cutting ancillary fees might seem like a win.
This is untrue. Sure, without ancillary fees, you would pay less for your schooling, but the schooling you’d receive would be less valuable. Student clubs, organizations, and programs, especially those in the arts (the ones Bill 33 will affect most), are a crucial part of building a campus’ vibrancy and life. They create a culture.
But there are broader implications to Section 21.1 beyond making campus life duller.
While presented as a piece of legislature meant to protect students, Bill 33 is actually a strategic move to maintain the provincial government’s authority. Cuts to ancillary fees would hamper student bodies’ ability to coordinate politically. Things like sports or healthcare, for example, won’t be that affected by Bill 33. The real victims of these cuts will be things like student papers, political clubs, and unions.
These, not so coincidentally, are the kinds of spaces that foster criticism of political power. Members of a badminton team, for example, are less likely to challenge a political policy than a student union. Arts organizations are more likely to notice and make a stink when their government does something they don’t like. Doug Ford knows this and has been trying to attack student organizing since 2019, when he tried to pass the Student Choice Initiative. During his campaign for the SCI, he called what student unions do, “crazy Marxist nonsense.” Bill 33’s goal of cutting ancillary fees isn’t about protecting students, it’s about silencing opposing voices.
But there’s an even more sinister part of Bill 33:
“New section 16.0.2 requires colleges of applied arts and technology and publicly assisted universities to assess applicants based on merit and to publish the criteria and process to be used for assessment into programs of study. The Lieutenant Governor in Council is given authority to make related regulations.”
The implication that equity and merit are mutually exclusive is an argument used by conservatives and rightwing rhetoricians all the time. It is a strawman designed to drive wedges into our communities by creating mistrust between identity groups. I am not arguing here that all EDI initiatives are productive and should not be questioned. However, the implication made by Bill 33, that students with no merit are being handed positions and scholarships on the basis of identity, is simply false.
Politicians like Doug Ford thrive on sewing these kinds of seeds because creating division inside the voting population is especially useful for conservative governments. People won’t want to vote for parties that seek to use tax dollars for the benefit of the collective, if they believe that the collective is undeserving. Right wing governments love to attack Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion programs because it ensures them power. By turning the population against itself, they create a social climate of division and fear that allows their policies to thrive.
So, fight Bill 33 in any way you possibly can. Far from supporting students as it claims to, Ford’s government is trying to drive apart anyone who might challenge them and divide Ontario’s population. Don’t let the conservative government encroach on your power and autonomy.
