MONTREAL — The federal government “has an obligation” under recently passed legislation to aid Quebec’s English-language universities should provincially mandated tuition hikes undermine their finances, said Quebec Liberal MP and former justice minister David Lametti.

“The federal government has a role to play, particularly with English-language institutions and Quebec. That’s something that the current Quebec government doesn’t like. But it’s there,” said Lametti, who represents the Montreal riding of LaSalle–Émard–Verdun. “And it’s important when Francophone institutions across the rest of Canada are weakened and the federal government has an obligation to play a role, the same being true in Quebec for English language institutions.” 

In October, the Quebec government announced plans to nearly double tuition fees, from $8,992 to $17,000, for out-of-province students attending McGill, Concordia or Bishop’s, the province’s three English-language universities, with the funds going to French universities. The move, ostensibly to curb “anglicization” in the province, has upended the three institutions, who say enrollment will decline as a result.

Concordia said the increases would cost the university $62 million in lost annual revenue, while McGill said it could lose as much as $69.8 million a year. The hikes could shutter Bishop’s entirely, according to a former principal of the school.

The Quebec government recently floated a more modest hike that would see out-of-province students pay $12,000 annually, a 33 per cent hike. But the government also wants at least 80 per cent of out-of-province and international students to obtain intermediate French proficiency while taking their other courses of study. McGill associate executive vice-president Fabrice Labeau said in an interview with La Presse that the proposal was “completely unrealistic.”

Lametti believes the federal government has both the right and an obligation to intervene due to  Bill C-13, the federal government’s amendment to the Official Languages Act, which came into effect in June. The law requires Ottawa to support sectors “essential to enhancing the vitality of English and French linguistic communities.” That includes post-secondary education, which the law specifically mentions. 

As justice minister, Lametti helped craft the legislation, which he says reflects the Liberal government’s commitment to cultivating both English and French minorities. The federal government, reads the legislation, is committed to providing opportunities for both groups “to pursue quality learning in their own language throughout their lives, including from early childhood to post-secondary education.”

Lametti, who is a professor on leave from McGill’s law faculty, said aid could come in the form of financial resources to the universities, either by paying them the difference so they can offset the cost increase to students, or by investing in capital expenses. The law provides protections for the French language, he added. “But there is no evidence universities are hurting French,” he told The Logic.

It was not immediately clear whether Lametti’s remarks presage some form of federal intervention on the matter. Prime Minister’s Office spokesperson Jenna Ghassabeh directed The Logic’s request for comment to Farrah-Lilia Kerkadi, spokesperson for Official Languages Minister Randy Boissonnault, who declined to comment on whether Bill C-13 obliges the federal government to step in. But Kerkadi added, “We can’t give money to McGill or Concordia; it has to go through the province.” 

Quebec education ministry spokesperson Esther Chouinard didn’t respond to a request for comment by deadline. 

Other members of the Liberal government say they are working with the universities. In a message provided to The Logic, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said he has been “actively working on [the university file] in the background.” 

Anna Gainey, a Liberal MP whose riding includes Concordia University’s downtown campus, said she is “in regular contact” with the university.

“As a member of Parliament, I am hearing from my constituents the concerns that I share about the proposals the Quebec government has made,” Gainey told The Logic. 

The tuition hikes will do worse than hinder McGill’s enrollment, said Daniel Weinstock, associate dean of research at McGill’s law faculty. “The ripple effect, which people maybe haven’t been talking about, is reputational. McGill draws a lot of its very enviable international reputation from the quality of its students,” Weinstock said. 

“We get to pick the very best students, and if we have to lower standards to fill spots, that makes us less attractive to faculty who are considering offers from different places.”