Daily Bulletin, Thursday, February 24

BUDGET AFTERMATH:  Students should expect "substantial" hikes in tuition
fees this year, education minister Dave Cooke said yesterday.  He was
joining in the cries of outrage that the Ontario cabinet has been producing
since Tuesday's federal budget, which announced that transfer payments
to the provinces -- a major source of funding for education, health and
welfare -- are going to stay frozen at current levels.

Cooke hinted strongly that the government will put another squeeze on
its grants to colleges, universities and school boards as a result.  That
matches the comment from provincial treasurer Floyd Laughren: "There's
no question the combination of this" (meaning the freeze on transfer
payments) "and the tobacco hit of $500 million is going to impact on the
monies available to our transfer partners: the municipalities, schools and
hospitals."

More news from the fine print of Tuesday's federal budget:  Ottawa is
pulling out of the "KAON" particle accelerator project, based at the
University of British Columbia, the country's biggest "big science" project.
The federal contribution of more than $200 million towards KAON had
pleased many nuclear physicists but annoyed other scientists who said
the funding was coming at the expense of every other form of research.

Finance minister Paul Martin promised extra money to the National Research
Council next year, and -- this counts as good financial news in the climate
of the 1990's -- will exempt the research granting councils from budget cuts.

And, finally, UW (like other employers across the country) and individual
staff and faculty will benefit from a reduction in unemployment insurance
premiums that's to come into effect next January.

CLASS LISTS:  Instructors might want to note that an electronic Class
List Distribution system is being introduced.  See the notice on page 2
of yesterday's Gazette for some details.  To arrange an account and get
information on using the facility, you can get in touch with Jim Boniface
of the registrar's office (jboniface@nh1adm).  The Class List Distribution
system is a pilot project of the huge Student Information Systems overhaul
that will be happening over the coming months and years.

TONIGHT:  Ballet Jorgen comes to the Humanities Theatre at 8 tonight,
sponsored by the Waterloo Showtime series.  The Humanities box office has
tickets -- you can reach them at 885-4280 off campus or ext. 2126 on campus.

GOOD YONTIF to those who are busy baking Hamantaschen today and otherwise
preparing for Purim, the merriest holiday of the Jewish year.  It starts at
sunset.

Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
888-4567 ext. 3004      credmond@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca