Mr. Speaker, Quebec students are demanding the Quebec government cancel the conversion of $103 million in grants to loans, which penalizes the poorest students.
The Bloc Québécois supports this protest, because we believe in a quality education system accessible to all.
Education is obviously under Quebec jurisdiction. However, the decisions made in Ottawa have a clear influence on education as well as on Quebec's other priorities.
The Bloc Québécois condemns the fiscal imbalance, which is affecting Quebec's ability to respond to the demands of Quebeckers. The federal government must accept the consensus of the National Assembly and Quebec society and resolve this issue.
The educational system in Quebec is different from that in the Canadian provinces, and Quebec fully intends to preserve it. Ottawa's refusal to recognize the fiscal imbalance demonstrates a profound lack of understanding of Quebec's priorities.