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