Dr Paul Hutchison MP
National Party Tertiary Education Spokesman

27 November 2007

More revelations of high pay in tertiary sector

The escalating salaries of NZQA staff will come as more salt in the wounds for the tertiary sector, says National’s Tertiary Education spokesman, Paul Hutchison.

“The number of NZQA staff on more than $100,000 has increased by 44% in the past 12 months, which brings the number earning over that amount at NZQA to 36.

“This is not an isolated case. Earlier this month I revealed that the number of Tertiary Education Commission staff on more than $100,000 had doubled since 2003.

“Labour’s bungled attempts at reforming the tertiary sector have seen around $1 billion wasted in the past eight years. It will be particularly bitter news to tertiary institutions facing funding cuts that there is still plenty of money to spend on bureaucrats’ salaries.

“The tertiary sector is in a complete mess thanks to Labour’s poor planning and constant meddling.

“Michael Cullen needs to justify the ever-increasing level of salaries within the administrative sector while the educationists struggle with uncertainty of funding and disruptive reforms.”

ENDS

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