12 March 2001

Greens urge students to look at records on EUB

Green Party MP Sue Bradford says students should be sceptical of politicans claiming they back the reintroduction of the Emergency Unemployment Benefit for students over the summer break.

"The Green Party applaud the New Zealand University Students Association for running a campaign on this issue but students should remain aware that what some politicians say and what they then do are often two completely different things," she said.

"The Green Party still cannot believe that, just six months after voting down my private members bill which sought to reintroduce the EUB, the Alliance are now running around trying to campaign on reintroducing this benefit."

Ms Bradford said the Alliance had never explained to her why they voted down her bill and she urged students to look at the track records of all politicians before believing what they were promising.

"Both Labour and the Alliance sought out students votes at the last election and then, when it came time to deliver, they both got cold feet," said Ms Bradford.

"At least Labour told us why they would not be supporting my bill and have been consistent on the issue since then. We still feel this is a very bad breach of faith but it is nothing compared to the unexplained and opportunistic flip flops of the Alliance."

Ms Bradford said students needed to constantly bear in mind the track record of politicians who made promises, blatantly broke them without good cause and then ran around campaigning on those promises all over again.

ENDS

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