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By Doug Collins

One Man's Opinion

COLLINS: It’s shocking how easily mistakes can happen when people aren’t thinking clearly

Nov 10, 2024 | 6:00 AM

GOVERNMENTS CAN EASILY MAKE MISSTEPS when they’re desperate for approval.

Immigration has been a significant topic of discussion for some time now. Some well-intentioned policymakers in Ottawa decided that by reducing the number of foreign students, we could create more housing spaces for ‘normal’ people.

However, those in charge overlooked the fact that international students pay a premium to study here — much more than domestic students. This additional funding enables our universities to offer specialized courses that they otherwise might not be able to provide.

For instance, at TRU, several courses that have gained loop for the university have been made possible due to these extra fees.

As a result of this decision, universities now face cashflow problems and are desperately searching for funding. Because of the funding shortfall, important projects are being scaled back or entirely canceled.

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My question is: who could not see this coming? It seems utterly ridiculous that such a decision was made without a clear understanding of the potential downsides. University staff may face layoffs, and in the end, no one benefits — not the international students, not the Canadian students and not the universities. Ultimately, this was a misguided move by a group of politicians who failed to consider the broader implications of their actions. Now, a valuable program is at risk because of a shortsighted group of blundering politicians who were looking for a quick fix to gain support.

Oh well. As they say, you can’t fix stupid.

I’m Doug Collins and that’s One Man’s Opinion.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.