Is Key about to u-turn on student loans?

If the Prime Minister has plans to re-introduce interest on student loans he should just say so, Labour’s Tertiary Education spokesperson Grant Robertson said today.

“Again John Key is testing the waters on a politically charged issue and not being upfront with New Zealanders about what his Government really wants to do around student loans,” Grant Robertson said.

“The PM’s comments suggesting the interest free student loan scheme doesn’t economically ‘stack up’ show John Key’s true feeling around the policy that Labour introduced in 2005 to give more Kiwis the opportunity for higher learning.

“It’s interesting that John Key is more worried about debt around tertiary education and less concerned about the quality of education tertiary institutions are able to offer given the constraints his Government has enforced on the sector.

“At a time when his Government is limiting enrolment numbers and tightening access to student loans, Mr Key is reverting back to ‘investment banker’ mode and can only see the bottom line.

“Kiwis have had enough of John Key’s ‘kicking the tyres’. If the Prime Minister is planning to reintroduce interest on student loans he should just say so.”

Grant Robertson said if National is serious about catching up with Australia it should take a leaf out of its book.

“Australia has invested an additional billion dollars in tertiary education in its last two Budgets. That’s because its Government sees tertiary education as an investment in the future, and Labour shares that philosophy,” Grant Robertson said.

“So Prime Minister, if you are planning a u-turn on interest free student loans, quit the fence sitting routine and just say so.”

ENDS

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