Student Leaders Deliver Letter to "Santa" Maharey

Student Leaders Deliver Letter to "Santa" Maharey

Student leaders in Christmas costume today delivered a letter to Santa, Tertiary Minister Steve Maharey, asking for more action on student support in the coming year.

Next year's leaders of the New Zealand University Students' Association (NZUSA), Fleur Fitzsimons and her newly-elected Co-President Andrew Kirton, delivered a tinsel covered letter from students asking for a living allowance for all students to the steps of Parliament.

"On behalf of all students, we've asked Steve Maharey for the best Christmas present we can think of - living allowances for all," said Andrew Kirton. "Thousands of students could really enjoy Christmas knowing that next year they wouldn't have to borrow from the student loans scheme to pay their rent and buy food."

"We're also letting him know that if he doesn't deliver on his promise to make tertiary education more affordable that students could be naughty not nice in 2004," said Fleur Fitzsimons. "Students are getting increasingly angry about Labour's failure to fix the disastrous student loan scheme."

Andrew Kirton, this year's President of the Lincoln University Students' Association, was elected to the position of 2004 Co-President yesterday. He joins 2004 Co-President Fleur Fitzsimons and National Women's Rights Officer Camilla Belich, who were elected in September.

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