Hon Jim Anderton, Progressive Leader

10 September 2004

Progressive promote no fees, and universal living allowances to end to student debt

Education is a high priority investment and the Progressive Party will campaign in next year's election to remove tertiary fees and introduce universal living allowances, leader Jim Anderton said as Victoria University Students protested about fee increases and student debt today.

"Progressive policy is for free early to tertiary education and we will promote all policies which move us towards this goal both within government now and as policies for the future during next years election campaign. The world is becoming highly competitive for skills and knowledge. Investment in tertiary education is one key way we can survive the skills competition of the future.

"Policies to increase access to higher education and training are vital to our future economic growth. While free education is our goal, we are also promoting policies to move us towards this such as bonded skills scholarships, lower fees, higher parental income thresholds and the reduction of student debt," Jim Anderton said.

In the 2002 election, Progressive campaigned on a platform to reduce or eliminate tertiary fees for the first year of study and to introduce living allowances so that students don't have to borrow money in order to live.

Ultimately, Progressives favour the abolition of all financial barriers to education and training from pre-school to the tertiary level because of the vital role that training and education play in our nation's economic performance.

ENDS

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