"It should come as no surprise that the Government is being warned its flagship fees-free policy will be open to abuse,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“Chris Hipkins has entrusted billions of taxpayer dollars to bureaucrats who hold no records of study from before 2003, meaning it will be difficult to verify their eligibility, according to Radio New Zealand.

"In 2003, there were over 1.4 million New Zealanders with a tertiary level qualification. Even if we assume that only half of those people are still alive and in the country, that's 700,000 New Zealanders who could take advantage of a free year of study. The Government can do little about it.

“Labour’s good intentions are once again having unintended consequences. Creating massive middle-class welfare schemes are an open invitation to those who would seek to abuse them,” says Mr Seymour.

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