Tax cuts no way to tackle student debt

Students are today labelling Rodney Hide’s announcement that ACT would solve the student debt burden by cutting taxes as a backward step to the failed policies of the 1990’s. Mr Hide made this statement today in his ‘State of the Nation’ address.

“If ACT was serious about solving the student debt crisis they would be advocating for reducing the drivers of debt which are high tertiary fees and a critical lack of student allowances,” said Camilla Belich, Co-president of the New Zealand University Students’ Association (NZUSA).

“This announcement is a poor attempt to win the student vote and glosses over other ACT Party policy like ever-increasing tertiary fees,” said Belich.

According to recent research by the New Zealand University Students’ Association, over two thirds of 2004 school leavers said that high fees are affecting their decisions whether to undertake tertiary study.

“The ACT Party should listen to young New Zealanders by adopting policies that make tertiary education more affordable and accessible. The resulting benefits would be far greater to the students they are trying to attract than tax cuts for the wealthy,” said Andrew Kirton, Co-president of NZUSA.

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