Thursday, 17 February 2005
Dunne: Govt slams another $10,000 a year in debt on to thousands of students
The Government has just dumped an extra $10,000 a year on to the loans of more than 6000 students, United Future leader
Peter Dunne revealed in Parliament today.
That is the impact of changes to the Independent Circumstances Allowance this year that mean students who had supported
themselves for 96 weeks will not now get the allowance, unless their parents' income meets certain criteria, he said.
"So these young people who have taken responsibility and supported themselves, are now being told they're effectively
kids again and mum and dad's income needs to be assessed.
"And why? Supposedly in the interests of fairness, the Government is penalising these 6200 students who took part-time
work and would have been due for the allowance, so that it doesn't discriminate against those who didn't.
"That's not fairness; it's a sick joke," Mr Dunne said, in slamming the changes as part of Labour's "unjust" approach to
student support.
"And the result of this rubbish? Today's story of Dunedin students being paid to take part in drug trials. Is that how
the Government wants student to keep their debt levels down? Because I can tell you now, parents want better than that
for their sons and daughters," he said.
In Parliament today, Mr Dunne slammed Tertiary Education Minister Trevor Mallard for answers to United Future education
spokesman Bernie Ogilvy last week, when he said that if students now didn't qualify for the allowance, they could put it
on their student loan.
"Proof - as if any were needed - that the Government simply doesn't give a damn about how much debt it piles on young
shoulders.
"It is a lack of compassion for the individual and a lack of foresight for the sheer damage this is doing to New
Zealand's prospects in the long term when our brightest and best head overseas because they can't afford to buy homes
and have to delay starting families because they face mountains of debt," Mr Dunne said.
"Frankly, Trevor Mallard's flippant response encapsulates the Government's view on this matter.
"Students deserve better than that," he said.
ENDS