RAM student candidate fighting hard for allowances

Saturday July 19

Oliver Woods - RAM candidate for Auckland Central

Oliver Woods, Auckland Central candidate for RAM - Residents Action Movement, is outraged by Auckland University Vice-Chancellor Stuart McCutcheon's politically-charged foray into the media over the universality of student loans.

"A universal student allowance would help retain New Zealand's best and brightest in New Zealand and would be a social investment in our country's future.'" said Oliver Woods.

"The Auckland University Vice-Chancellor's simplistic, ideologically driven dismissal of a universal student allowance as an 'election bribe' ignores the fact that his hardworking students are the ones keeping his university afloat."

"New Zealand tertiary student debt passed $10,000,000,000 (10 billion) this year with no end in sight for the move away from a 'user pays'model in education."

"A universal student allowance would enable a new generation of Kiwis to be genuinely aspirational and to live productive lives in New Zealand when they graduate, not resigned to a lifetime of involuntary servitude to the masters of student loans and bank overdrafts."

"Organisations like NZUSA and AUSA continue to fight hard to make life better for students in all these realms, and RAM is proud to battle alongside them to build a modern, fair and morally just tertiary education system."

"RAM is committed to making tertiary education study free for students who stay in New Zealand for 5 years after they graduate. Such a system would keep our best and brightest in NZ and halt the Brain Drain!"

"I am campaigning hard in Auckland Central to let students, recent graduates and others with student debt know that Oliver Woods and RAM want action to make their lives better!"

Oliver Woods is standing as an Auckland Central candidate in the 2008 elections for RAM (Residents Action Movement). As well as being a post-graduate student at Auckland University, he is also involved in a small IT start-up company.

RAM, a movement in the process of registration with the Electoral Commission, was formed into a national-level party just four months ago. After only a few months of existence RAM has more than 3,000 members, giving it a bigger membership than other parties currently represented in parliament (United Future, the Progressives and ACT). RAM's GST-off-food petition has attracted more than 15,000 signatures over the past two months.

In the 2008 general election, RAM will be contesting electorate seats around the country (including upwards of a dozen in Greater Auckland), as well as the party list vote. Its aim is to provide a strong broad left voice.

ENDS

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