National claims entire tertiary education sector a waste

National has shown today its true colours with its claim that the entire $2 billion plus funding for tertiary education - which includes student allowances and other student support, all university and polytechnic funding - is a waste, Education Minister Trevor Mallard said.

"I am sure the universities and all tertiary education providers would be interested to know that National believes all the education they provide is a waste of taxpayers funds -as Mr English has confirmed in a press statement today.

"It is now clear where the $2 billion of their proposed $5 billion a year tax cuts is coming from. It is the tertiary vote. If he says it is all waste, then clearly he wants to cut it all.

"Mr English also criticises the Quality Reinvestment Fund which tertiary education institutions will be able to access through the transition to high quality and relevant courses, to ensure their viability. He is simply resorting to myth-making by his suggestion that they will get nothing. This is the entire point of the fund - they will get it all.

"But to get more than the $250,000 planning money, they will have to produce the goods and make tight and detailed purchase agreements.

"Mr English is the same person who has been out in the regions, scaremongering and accusing the government of causing providers to fall over because of the reviews of non-degree provisions that have been carried out," Trevor Mallard said.

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