Statement on Bill 33
SAGBC is deeply concerned by the Ontario Government’s introduction of Bill 33, Supporting Children and Student Act, 2025. If successfully passed, this bill grants the Ontario Government the power to interfere with the autonomy of Student Unions, Colleges, and Universities. At
George Brown College, ancillary fees are used to fund the various services and programsprovided by SAGBC – many of which our students rely on.
To allow Bill 33 to pass would mean the Ontario Government could determine which student fees are permitted, prohibited, and how much can be charged. This is not the first time the Ontario Government has attempted to cut ancillary fees. In 2019, the Student Choice Initiative
(SCI) allowed post-secondary students to opt out of certain “non-essential” ancillary fees. This was deemed unlawful by the Divisional Court in December 2019 and by the Court of Appeals in 2021.
Let’s be clear, ancillary fees are not what makes post-secondary education unaffordable and inaccessible. This false narrative put forth by the Ontario Government is a mere distraction from the chronic underfunding of education on their part. These threats to cut ancillary fees are a
threat to Student Unions across the province. Ultimately, it is a threat to us, the student body.
To the Ontario Government, the SAGBC calls for the immediate rescission of Bill 33; instead, to invest in long-term and sustainable funding of post-secondary education. No more blaming student fees and attacking our institutional autonomy.
The SAGBC remains committed to protecting our students’ rights to services, promoting equitable education, and supporting student democracy on campus.