Alliance Party media release for immediate release Thursday 1 February 2007

Solving The Underclass Problem

The Alliance Party says free education is a vital part of solving the so-called "underclass" problem.

Alliance Education spokesperson Richard Wallis says if National leader John Key wants to help New Zealanders out of the underclass that his party has helped create, then he should adopt policies that help people up out of that underclass.

He says that National Party type policies have damaged an entire generation and it will take a similar amount of time to repair the damage.

"Smaller class sizes, the removal of 'voluntary' school fees and the abolition of user pays in tertiary education all provide a way for children from low income backgrounds to improve their lives."

Mr Wallis says all children deserve and are entitled to high quality free education, which can only be paid for from taxes.

"Mr Key says he doesn't agree with throwing money at problems, but the well-off parents who send their children to private schools and can afford extra support and tuition are obviously throwing money at their children. It's the Nat's usual double standard at work."

Mr Wallis says the Alliance wants to move away from the 'negative blame culture' of the National Party to looking at the underlying causes of social problems.

"One of the biggest barriers facing New Zealand today is access to education and the ability of children to make the most of that education by having a stable home life."

"Many children come from families where parents are working long hours in stressful, low paid jobs. Many parents are working in more than one job doing casual and shift work, and simply don't have the resources or energy to provide an ideal home environment."

Mr Wallis says the Alliance proposes a wide range of policies to provide support and a 'helping hand' for struggling families.

"This has to include affordable housing, high quality public health care, a substantial rise in the minimum wage and benefit levels, and a policy of real full employment with secure jobs - all of which the Alliance supports and all of which National opposes."

"Central to the overall goal is the Alliance policy of free education from preschool through to tertiary, which would mean that people wanting to get out of the poverty trap would be able to access the educational facilities that their tax dollars fund."

ENDS

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