Maurice Williamson National Tertiary Education Spokesperson

2 July 2002

Another control-freak policy from Labour

Labour's tertiary policy is nothing but a rehash of tired old ideas from its exercise in bureaucracy called the Tertiary Education Advisory Commission, says National Tertiary Education Spokesperson Maurice Williamson.

"Labour is yet to outline a policy that will enable the tertiary education sector to contribute all it can to growing the economy. Its policy announced today is all about bureaucracy, central control, charters and profiles rather than quality outcomes.

"We will only get high-quality outcomes by allowing competition in the sector.

"Moves to limit funding to the private sector, and to heavily direct the state sector, impinge on academic freedom and institutional autonomy. They would have gladdened the hearts of 1960s' Eastern European apparatchiks, but are way out of place in 21st century New Zealand," said Mr Williamson.

"Labour talks about raising the parental income for allowances but doesn't specify to what level. This is an example of how this Government's pledges mean nothing.

"Steve Maharey has himself become part of the parliamentary vernacular. There is now a well-known phrase referencing that which is unbelievable as the "Maharey Principle". It refers to saying lots about what you're going to do, but never doing it. This is just one of those announcements.

"Labour's policy is to force students to stay in New Zealand. National opposes bonding. National's policy will address student debt and encourage people to stay in New Zealand so that we retain skilled people to run all our professions and industries. The individual will have the right of choice.

"Labour says it will review loan provisions to discourage loans being taken up for non-educational purposes. It is has to do this because its interest-free loans scheme is encouraging all students to take the maximum loan.

Mr Maharey's very own Tertiary Education Advisory Commission spoke out against such a policy but Mr Maharey completely ignored it.

"Under Labour, student debt has increased at least $1.5b to nearly $5b, students are borrowing more, and the number borrowing is soaring. Long-term student debt projection has been revised up by around 30% since Labour's scheme was introduced.

"Today's policy does nothing to address this growing student debt," Mr Williamson said. National will release its tertiary policy very soon.

Ends

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