NJN Network

By Tony Carroll, Kingston, Ontario, February 18, 2009

Back in 1995, there was a Provincial election campaign and during this campaign a report from the Board of Education came out that indicated that the Liberal government had slated numerous rural schools to close. It was a bombshell, and Keith Milligan, the Liberal leader of the time, although denying having an agenda to close rural schools, could not deny that a study was done that recommended rural school closures.

Pat Binns, the Progressive Conservative leader, indicated to the public that he would definitely not close rural schools and the result on the electorate was obvious as Pat Binns was elected with a huge majority and stayed in power for over a decade. During his time in power, Pat Binns’ government kept his promise and rural schools remained opened during his government’s tenure.

Yet not even two years into Robert Ghiz’s government’s mandate, they are already proposing the closure of rural schools. This is after 14 years ago, the electorate spoke out against the closure of rural schools. If there was ever convincing evidence that the Liberal Party, and the same host of characters, support urban areas over rural areas – this is the case.

For those of you who think these school closures are no big deal – ask yourself whether you feel comfortable putting your six or seven year old child on a bus to be transported miles away when it should be only within the community. Furthermore, we know that schools build communities and if there was ever a signal of a government giving up on a community, it would be to close the school in that particular area.

Here is a case in point – I grew up in Parkdale and went to Parkdale Elementary School, where Doug Currie also attended – one of the schools slated for closure. Statements have been made that this area is largely a retirement community and so the elementary school should be closed. Yet, a few years ago when Birchwood School, where Doug Currie was Principal, were having enrollment problems, students from surrounding areas were bused into Birchwood to meet the enrollment numbers.

Students from Parkdale who previously went to Stonepark Junior High School, started to attend Birchwood School. Was Birchwood slated to close? No – the province would not hear of it – they would never consider closing a urban school and busing the remainder of those students to outside areas. Why? Because in their heart of hearts – the government knows that this would spell the end of the community. The message – we care about urban areas much more than we care about rural areas.

This sort of action is not new for this government. It started almost two years ago when the hog plant on Prince Edward Island was having financial difficulty and Robert Ghiz was asked about whether there would be government assistance and he stated “If it is not profitable then perhaps the farmers should just move on.” He said this with such care that your ice cream would melt when you heard him say it. He said this at the same time, consultants who he hired with ALL Island taxpayer money were conducting a study on a Convention Centre in downtown Charlottetown – which he himself said would lose money because “convention centers do not make money”.

Does anyone else see the double-standard? This is on top of moving a proposed Artifactual Museum, once again, with ALL island taxpayer money, from a rural area to downtown Charlottetown without even a blink. Then he appoints a Puppet, I mean Minister (Freudian slip) in charge of rural development – who does not say a word when they announce rural school closures. Then there is the multimillion dollar Bio-Technology Centre – being constructed in Charlottetown – once again with ALL Island taxpayers’ money.

What is sadly ironic about this Robert Ghiz and his government is that once they need more tax revenue to pay for their projects in urban areas – they talk about rural incorporation – which create a method of taxing rural residents to create more revenue for these projects in urban areas. Yet where are the rural politicians who belong to the Liberal Party? Are they just so comfortable receiving their salaries, perks and future pensions and trying to build a potential future Federal political career – that they would sell-out the very people who elected them? Where are those voices?

I read the paper daily and have to see rural Liberal politician speak out on these issues (not even the Minister in charge of Rural Development). The time has come for rural Islanders to fight for their communities before there is nothing left of them. When this government starts to talk about rural Incorporation – ask them, “Where are our share of public service government jobs and services?” Then and only then, will the discussion take place on equal footing.