Statement from Bill Walker, MPP, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound

This strike is not fair to students. We're deeply disappointed that half a million students continue to be kept out of the class room. I have personally written to Minister Deb Matthews to urge her to work quickly to help both the Union and the Council representing College management to wrap this up swiftly so that there's no further impact on the students' semester.

Since the first day of the strike, my caucus colleagues and I have called on the Liberal Government to step in and bring both sides back to the bargaining table. From what I have seen first-hand, until today, the Premier has been indifferent to the predicament of college students and college faculty. Frankly, she has completely failed to show leadership, and act in the best interests of students, and this is unacceptable.

The government should not be gambling with students' education, and I sincerely hope for the good of the students and faculty that she and Minister Matthews will work quickly to wrap this up so that students can get back to learning and the faculty can get back to teaching. The impact on students should be the first consideration in all decisions being made.

We look forward to debating the back-to-work Legislation when it is tabled this afternoon and hope there will be support for this across all partisan lines.