The Alliance 'Six steps for young people' was released today at the Youthspeak forum in Wellington.

'Young people are getting a raw deal from this government. The Alliance aims to stop that,' Alliance Deputy Leader Sandra Lee said.

'Currently, a 19 year old working alongside a 20 year old and doing exactly the same work can be paid just $4.20 an hour while the 20 year old has to be paid at least $7 an hour.

'The Alliance will increase the minimum wage to $7.5 an hour for everybody 16 and over.

'Young people are means tested on their parents income until they are 25 years old if they want to study full time.

'This is one of the most ridiculous policies discriminating against young people and is the major cause of the $3 billion student loans scheme debt.

'The Alliance is the only political party that will reinstate a full student allowance. Labour and New Zealand first have both previously been committed to universal student allowances as late as two years ago, now they have both abandoned this policy.

'The Alliance will ensure that everyone under 20 is either has a job, or is in full-time education or training. No one under 20 will be on the dole.

'The Alliance will invest in economic development, especially in the areas of the country that need it the most. We'll increase tariffs by 5% on imports from all countries except Australia.

'In this way, economists say we will create 80,000 more jobs than under National's economic policies.

'The best investment in a knowledge economy is free education. We will follow the lead of knowledge economies such as Ireland and Finland and remove tertiary fees.

'A Youth Radio Network and a network of Sports Academies are also included in the policy,' Sandra Lee said.

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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>>