Press Release for Immediate Release
Young Labour Welcomes Universal Student Allowance
Monday, 13 October 2008
Young Labour is hailing Labour's policy to move quickly to a Universal Student Allowance as big vote winner amoung
students and young people.
"In terms of the student vote it's a swift kick in the balls for National," Young Labour president Eric Goddard said
after the policy was announced at Otago University earlier today. "This is what students have been asking for ever since
Labour's interest free student loan policy came through and it's going to be awfully hard for National to beat it."
Young Labour Regional Representative Ella Hardy said the turnout and reception by students at Otago was incredible, "The
place was jam packed, it was great to see so many students showing their support."
The new policy will see the parental income threshold rise swiftly until it is abolished completely in 2012, allowing
around 50,000 more students to qualify for the student allowance.
"Labour has worked non-stop to make education in New Zealand more equitable - and Helen's announcement today is another
step in the right direction." Goddard said. "This will allow all fulltime students to focus on their studies without
having to work long hours just to pay the rent, it's also going to be a popular policy amoung parents of students and
soon-to-be students."
The policy is one that Young Labour has supported and campaigned for within the Labour Party for some time and was one
of the top priorities in their 2008 Policy Manifesto.
"Investing in students and not burdening them with crippling debt is the best way to build a sustainable and longterm
economy that can deliver for New Zealand. Labour is the Party of longterm thinking and not short-term policies like
National's plan to axe Kiwisaver," said Goddard.
Student debt has had a lot of negative effects on our society - women, Maori and Pacific Islanders are all taking longer
to repay their loans compared to their Pakeha male colleagues. This will make repayments easier and break down some of
the barriers to education.
ENDS