Maurice Williamson National Tertiary Education Spokesperson

7 November 2001

Maharey quick to criticise TEAC report

Tertiary Education Minister Steve Maharey and students were the first off the blocks to criticise today's TEAC report, National's Tertiary Education spokesperson Maurice Williamson said today.

"Steve Maharey has already said he is against the two main recommendations of the report.

"The Minister said today that he is against the recommendation to drop interest rates on student borrowing, a move designed to prevent students using their loans to gain on investments.

"In Parliament on October 17 Steve Maharey also said he was against the recommendation to cap the number of people it subsidises to take particular numbers.

"After spending millions of dollars on TEAC we now have to question his commitment to the report. It's the same as the McLeod report - the Government spends millions on these reports but won't take the advice.

"The coupling of tuition and research funding is a good idea which we have always supported. The cost and funding review is well overdue and should have been taking place while TEAC were doing their work.

"This report is an improvement on the first two TEAC reports which were a huge waste of time and an embarrassment. However it is convoluted and it will take some time to work through what the report means because on a first glance it could mean all things to all people," Mr Williamson said.

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