The CAQ government’s plan to nearly double tuition for non-Quebec students at the province’s three English universities will cause enrolment to tank and exacerbate the province’s long standing labour shortage, the universities and a Quebec business group said. “Prospective students from outside Quebec may hear the message that they are not welcome,” wrote McGill University principal and vice-chancellor Deep Saini to the university’s community, where over half the students come from outside the province. Denis Hamel, vice-president of the Conseil du patronat, which represents 70,000 Quebec employers, told the Montreal Gazette that he is “worried, disappointed and surprised” by the province’s new tuition strategy. (The Logic, Montreal Gazette)

Talking point: Under the plan, the additional funds the tuition hike generates would be diverted to Quebec’s Francophone universities. The government, which acknowledges that the change will decrease enrolment at McGill, Concordia and Bishop’s University, nonetheless says it is necessary to stem the “anglicization” of the province. A chronic labour shortage continues to hamstring Quebec’s thriving tech sector, which is further burdened by restrictive language laws.