Green Youth Affairs and Tertiary Education Spokesperson Nandor Tanczos will visit around a dozen tertiary institutions
in an orientation speaking tour starting 8 February.
Nandor will visit universities and polytechnics 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.
Ends