Waikato Occupation Continues Into Second Day

Labour's honeymoon is over. Today Fightback! Waikato's occupation of the registry continues, with the group calling on Labour to put right a sickening history of tertiary education management.

It was Labour who abolished free education in 1988 by increasing administration fees by 80%. It was Labour who gave the rich their biggest tax cut in this nation's history whilst shamelessly declaring free education impossible.

Labour's Phil Goff branded university students 'middle class' yet excluded the working class from accessing university by bringing in fees in 1990.

The door Labour wedged open was flung aside by National when they hiked fees up even further despite feeble Lockwood Smith's infamous promise to abolish fees or resign.

It is no coincidence enrolments have dropped every year since 1992. No coincidence that Maori enrolments continue to plunge, despite Maori quotas.

Student loans have added an extra hurdle to working class youth on their road to university education.

This situation is intolerable, more than 324,000 students have racked up over $3.4 billion in dept through loans.

The huge fees mean many don't ever get into university to start with.

We are sick of being patronised and repressed. After twelve years of silence, Waikato university and polytechnic students are occupying.

Our campaign of joint, rolling occupations of campus' nationwide is intended to press Labour to make real moves towards free education by making it more unaffordable for them to refuse.

For years Labour has turned their back on our plight. We call for them to look us in the face, engage in dialogue and right a sickening history of wrongs.

ENDS

by Nexus editor David Young, inside the occupation. Phone: 0211251199

The mayor will come down to support us today, and cultural groups are joining in througout the day. Bryan Gould has been asked to speak but has not taken us up on the offer yet.

Rallies will be held in other parts of the university throughout the day, contact Joe on 025 6169177 - he's a Fightback organiser and part of the Outside Liaison Committee.

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