Steve Maharey to address Massey staff and students

Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education), Steve Maharey will speak at Massey University tomorrow lunchtime [5 May] at the invitation of the Association of University Staff (AUS). Mr Maharey will address Massey staff and students about the Labour/Alliance Government's plans for tertiary education.

“We are excited to have an opportunity to hear about these policy developments from Mr Maharey because Massey staff and students are interested to know how Massey fits into the wider tertiary vision. We have allowed a significant time for questions and closed the meeting to the press in order to give Massey staff and students the ability to speak freely with Mr Maharey,” said Massey AUS President Associate Professor Tony Lewis.

“Our meeting last week with the Minister of Education, Hon. Trevor Mallard, revealed a number of points relating to the government's desire to put resources into public institutions and to strengthen accountability for the use of these resources. We welcomed these comments," said Professor Lewis.

"Mr Mallard was very clear that he was not willing to interfere with the institutional autonomy of any university. We are pleased to learn that the chair of the newly formed Tertiary Education Advisory Commission, Norman Kingsbury, will be travelling to all of the universities to appraise senior management of Government policy. We have asked that he also meet with representatives of academic and general staff in light of the current 'repositioning' (restructuring) situation at Massey," said Professor Lewis.

For further comment please phone:

Tony Lewis h (06) 326 8816, w (06) 3569099 ext 5588, cell 025 2113 290
John Waldon w (06) 3569099 ext 2538

The meeting is closed to the Press but Mr Maharey is available to talk to reporters at the end of the meeting, 12.45pm outside the Marsden Lecture Theatre, by the Science Towers on the Massey University main campus.

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