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New Democrats call for free college tuition in N.S.

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Nova Scotia NDP calls for free tuition
WATCH ABOVE: The Nova Scotia new democrats are calling on the government to make college tuition free in the province. Global’s Legislative Reporter Marieke Walsh has the details – Jun 27, 2016

Nova Scotia’s NDP is calling for free tuition for college students in the province.

At its weekend policy convention, NDP members voted in favour of eliminating college tuition in Nova Scotia.

If the move was put into force, it would cost the government an additional $31.8 million dollars annually according to NDP Leader Gary Burrill.

The move is the NDP’s “first step” in making post-secondary education more affordable, Burrill said. The NDP is focusing on college tuition first because Burrill said the policy is easier to implement.

Burrill didn’t rule out more tuition relief for students at other post-secondary schools, but said so far, party policy will only cover tuition at the Nova Scotia Community College campuses across the province.

No one from the Liberal government was available for an interview on the topic but in an emailed statement a spokesperson for the Deparment of Labour and Advanced Education said college tuition in Nova Scotia is “comparable to other colleges in Canada.”

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The statement did not address the question of whether the Liberals would support free college tuition.

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