Today's budget has drawn criticism from ACT's unofficial youth wing, ACTivists, who have described the budget as "based on bribes and blackmail, offering little encouragement for young people to stay in New Zealand and excel".

ACTivist President, Gavin Middleton, said "With such a heavy focus - over 50% of new spending - on welfare, this budget offers precious little to encourage young New Zealanders into jobs."

"The funding bribe to tertiary institutions is exactly what we expected" Mr Middleton said.

"Any tertiary institution which just wants to cover the cost of inflation this year has to take a cut in Government funding to do so. Fee increases, which I predict will occur, will be made worse as institutes have to recoup lost Government funding from student fees."

"Tertiary students will see fees rise higher than they need to, because of the Labour/Alliance budget."

"While it's good to see our tragic youth suicide statistics attacked in the budget, there is nothing to address the feeling of helplessness that many young people experience - nothing to encourage young New Zealanders to believe in themselves, with the focus on a patriarchal Government holding our hands, rather than teaching us to walk by ourselves."

"The superannuation fund as announced in the budget is nothing more than an unfair scam which makes victims out of youth. Delegates to the Superannuation Summit earlier this week heard how working youth are expected to support their grandparents (through the current scheme), our parents (through the fund) and then, when our generation is close to retirement, the fund will be running down to zero."

Mr Middleton said the budget should have included tax cuts to encourage employment, an end to Labour/Alliance doublespeak on tertiary funding and sustainable superannuation that gives all New Zealanders, young and old, a retirement worth looking forward to.

ENDS

For more information, contact:

Gavin Middleton
(+64) (021) 505495
president@activists.org.nz
http://www.activists.org.nz

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