Liz Gordon MP Fri Aug 20 1999

The Alliance said that Max Bradford's suggestions that only three universities should undertake research means New Zealand would lose the other four.

'If a university does not undertake research as an integral part of its teaching functions it cannot be a University. This is defined by New Zealand law as well as international practice. At present every lecturer in New Zealand universities are involved in research,' Alliance Education spokesperson Liz Gordon said.

'Suggestions by the minister that there would only be three 'super universities' really means he wants just three universities.

'Max is admitting that this government has not funded universities enough to be world class institutions. Real funding per student has declined by 20% since 1991 and NZ universities operate on 60% of the costs of Australian universities.

'This is why he wants to axe four universities.

'We have had nine years of competition in the tertiary sector without any planning. Now in the dying days of this government the new Minister of Tertiary Education comes up with this lunatic idea.

'Tertiary institutions need surety and funding commitment from government. They do not need another review where 4/7ths of our university sector face annihilation.

'The best investment in the knowledge economy is free tertiary education. This is something that this government has completely ignored in its so called knowledge economy package,' Liz Gordon said.

ENDS

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