OTTAWA (CUP) - The almost $2 million price tag on former premier Bob Rae's eight month long probe into post-secondary education in Ontario has some student leaders and opposition critics wondering if it was really worth it.

"I think this was just a public relations exercise. It was a dog and pony show that Rae dragged across the province and spent immense amounts of money that would have been better spent on student aid," says George Soule, national chair for the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS).

In a document obtained by the Canadian University Press (CUP) through a freedom of information request, it reveals the estimated cost of the Rae Review to be $1,781,574. The final cost will be within five per cent of this number, which is $150,000 less than originally budgeted, says the review's project manager, Ruth MacKay.

"It really was the most extensive public consultation process that has been undertaken on a significant issue in years," says MacKay.

But Soule disagrees with many of the review's recommendations, including tuition increases and changes to student loans that would see the pace of repayment tied to a graduate's income. This, he says, could have students repaying loans for a lifetime.
The review also recommended a $1.3 billion increase in provincial funding for colleges and universities.

While the York Federation of Students (YFS) president, Omari Mason, says that he doesn't know how much an average commission like Rae's would typically cost, he says that the process of the Rae Review was important.

"[It was] a good use of money to find out what students need," says Mason.

Like Soule, Mason was disappointed with Rae's recommendations, saying that the new money is important, but it is only enough to make Ontario universities mediocre.

Jesse Greener, Ontario chair for the CFS, also stated the government didn't need to spend millions on a review to know that universities are underfunded.

"I don't see why we would have paid him $1.7 million to have public funding recommended yet again as something that needs to happen," says Greener.

Rosario Marchese, education critic for the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP), agrees. "It's not as if governments didn't know that before, without the report," says Marchese.

The Rae Review was announced last July and the final report was published in early February. It took Rae and his staff to all corners of the province to meet with concerned students and citizens.

The former premier was paid $90,000 for his services. The public consultation process cost $642,850 and the report itself cost $248,600 to produce. The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities paid for the review, which had a staff of 15.

Whether the exercise was worthwhile will depend on which recommendations the government funds in the 2005 budget says Marchese. He added that the review might be a tool for the McGuinty government to "cherry pick" aspects of post-secondary education to support.

Marchese worries there will be more of an emphasis on tuition increases than government funding in the Ontario budget, which is expected in late April or May. "The report is saying students can afford to pay more and I disagree with that strongly," says Marchese

"We are afraid McGuinty will pursue that part of the report a little more aggressively than the other part of the funding request."

Progressive Conservative education critic Laurie Scott says the consultation done for the review was comprehensive and that the recommendations reflected what is needed to cure Ontario's ailing post-secondary system.

But she, too, is waiting on the budget before passing judgement on whether it was worth millions.

"It's worth it if something comes of it," says Scott. "It seems high to me, but it's a lot of people, a lot of consultations."

Scott says the review was of some value because it raised public awareness about post-secondary education in Ontario.

- With files from Jesse Freedman (Photo: Varsity and CUP)