Green MP Nandor Tanczos' 2002 campus orientation tour comes to Wellington this Thursday February 28 with engagements at both Massey and Victoria universities.

Nandor will speak to students at Massey University outside the café between 12 - 1.15pm and at Victoria University between 1.30 - 2pm in the quad. He will meet with local AUS presidents between 2 - 2.30.

Nandor is visiting around a dozen universities and polytechnics during the month long tour to meet with and speak to students and student leaders about a range of issues focussing on the environment, the future of politics and the Green vision for tertiary education.

"As a party which represents many of the concerns of younger people I am looking forward to meeting as many people as possible on this tour and feeding their concerns and suggestions back into the party," he said.

"Tertiary education was a key issue at the last election and this Government has not done anywhere near enough. It looks likely to dominate the next one as well. The Greens intend to work with staff and student representatives to keep the pressure on.

"Student debt is continuing to go through the roof and the future of many young people is being crippled by loans which many will be paying off for the rest of their lives."

Nandor said that allowances at the level of the unemployment benefit needed to be made available to all full-time students and that an equitable way must be found to end the student loans scheme.

He said despite the Labour-Alliance Government voting down a Green bill to restore the emergency unemployment benefit for students, the Greens would also continue to push this issue in 2002.

"At the moment students continue to be penalised for seeking an education when, if we were serious about the future, we would instead be providing real incentives to them."

Nandor will have some time for media interviews in the various regions he will be visiting. Itinerary available on request.

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