MEDIA RELEASE: 511 days without meeting the Premier

Students frustrated after Premier Furey does not meet with them for over 510 days following a promise to meet with stakeholders

On Friday, September 6, MUNSU reached out to Premier Furey’s office to schedule a meeting on the topic of tuition fees, as well as other challenges that students are facing such as the housing crisis and food insecurity. Ten days later, there has been absolutely no response from the Premier’s office, despite him stating to CBC on April 25, 2023 that he would consult with stakeholders to review tuition freeze funding.

Students are dealing with the cost of living, food insecurity, the housing crisis, and crumbling infrastructure at MUNL. First-year enrolment has dropped by over 20% since the new tuition fee structure was implemented in 2022, and following consultation with MUNSU the provincial government subsidized a $50/course fee, saving most students hundreds of dollars per year. Since then, MUNSU has not been invited to meet with the Premier despite the need for “listening to all sides” being articulated quite clearly in his interview from 2023. After 500 days, on September 6, the students’ union again emailed the Premier requesting a meeting. To date, no response has been given to elected student representatives.

MUNSU believes that students are a vital part of consultations surrounding tuition fee increases, and we look forward to scheduling a meeting with the Premier in the coming weeks.

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MUNSU can be reached for comment via external@munsu.ca or (709) 330-6941.