Winston Peters has already broken one promise on universal student allowances no one should believe his new one.

' New Zealand First promised a universal allowance in the 1996 coalition document and never delivered. No one believes they have any intention of delivering it this time,' Alliance Education spokesperson Liz Gordon said.

'New Zealand First is doing nothing about the causes of student debt. They are not going to eliminate fees or introduce universal allowances.

'While Winston Peters was treasurer average fees increased by $680 or 26%. Student debt increased by $1036 million and is still increasing.

'That is what he gave students when he broke his promise on a universal allowance. No student should let him have another chance to break his promises,' Liz Gordon said.

ENDS

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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>>