Donald to accept living allowance petition from students

Student leaders from tertiary institutions and high schools will present MPs tomorrow (Tuesday) with a 30,000-strong petition calling on the Government to introduce a universal tertiary living allowance.

Green Party Co-Leader Rod Donald will accept the petition from Ms Fitzsimons and table it in Parliament.

Mr Donald said denying tertiary students a living allowance discriminates against the very people the Government says it's relying on to drive our economy.

"Forcing students to borrow to meet their basic needs is counterproductive, both for them and for society as a whole," said Mr Donald.

"A universal allowance would go a long way to stopping the student debt crisis getting any worse and would help to restore some faith amongst young people that their country values them and wants them to contribute to our society."

Speaking at the presentation of the petition will be:

* Fleur Fitzsimons and Andrew Kirton, NZUSA Co-Presidents.

* Luke Doubleday, Head Boy of Cashmere High School

* Jess Allen, President of the New Zealand Medical Students' Association

* MPs from the Greens, United Future and New Zealand First whose parties all support the introduction of a universal living allowance for all students.

Students will present the petition at 1pm on Tuesday 4th May the steps of Parliament.

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>