Alliance Party Supports Students

The Alliance Party is today reiterating its call for urgent action on student debt by supporting the New Zealand Union of Students' Association's student debt campaign.

The average student debt is now reached $28,838, 147 percent higher than in 1998, according to research carried out on behalf of the New Zealand Union of Students' Association's.

"Tertiary Fees in New Zealand are some of the highest in the world" says Alliance Party Tertiary Education Spokesperson Richard Mitchell "This Labour-led government has continually said that they want a high knowledge, highly qualified society yet they continue to re-strict access to tertiary education to only those who can afford it by allowing, and supporting, tertiary fee increases"

Total student debt in New Zealand will reach $10 billion dollars in March 2008.

"It is time the Government invested in the future of this country by investing in students" stated Mr Mitchell. "The only simple solution to ensuring that New Zealand has a high knowledge, highly qualified society is the immediate introduction of free education and a universal student allowance"

"By introducing free education, this Government will be proving to the New Zealand public that they believe in the future of this country" continues Mr Mitchell.

The Alliance believes that free, high quality and easily accessible tertiary education paid for through progressive taxation is the only way to achieve this for the bulk of the population.

ENDS

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