New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says the fees-free university scheme, which covers the final year of tertiary education study for students, will be scrapped in the upcoming Budget.
Peters was asked by Newstalk ZB’s Heather du Plessis-Allan whether the scheme, introduced under Dame Jacinda Ardern’s Labour Government, was “wasteful spending” and whether the coalition would cut it.
“I’ll give you a Budget leak right here, right now, the answer is yes,” he said.
“We are going to reshape and repurpose it for the trades and all sorts of industries where we do need it and where we can get a far better payback for our money and pay far less money doing it.”
Exceptionally pleased to see the fees free policy go. It was a hugely expensive wasteful policy from Chris Hipkins that subsidised students from wealthy families and did nothing to increase participation from lower income families.
Less pleased to see Winston (presumably) unilaterally reveal Budget decisions. He would not tolerate that if he was Treasurer.
David Farrar runs Curia Market Research, a specialist opinion polling and research agency, and the popular Kiwiblog where this article was sourced. He previously worked in the Parliament for eight years, serving two National Party Prime Ministers and three Opposition
5 comments:
Labour’s policies have always been to entrench its student votes - interest free student loans from Clark & then, free fees first year of university from Ardern. So easy to do - ruinous to the country’s finances even while these freebies achieve little of the lofty socialist intentions behind them.
Down the slippery slope goes NZ - rapidly gathering speed with each successive Labour government.
2nd world Aotearoa, anyone?
Correct decision. Another vote-buying , money-squandering scheme by Labour.
>"... the fees free policy ... subsidised students from wealthy families and did nothing to increase participation from lower income families."
I'd like to see some evidence for that assertion.
I am myself from a poor family and went through varsity in the 70s relying solely on student jobs and my bursary - couldn't have done it had there been course fees. Surely there are young people out there just like me - academically bright but with no family support - to this day.
It is not the only example of where our tax dollars could be better utilised. e.g. Stop funding kapa haka, ridiculous settlements for fraudulent iwi claims, etc. and put it into Pharmac!
To anon 8.57am
How dare you suggest cutting funding to one of Aotearoa’s greatest taonga and the most generous of Maori gifts to the nation, kapa haka? Don’t you know that NZ is devoid of culture but for the haka?
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