Prebble's Rebels President, Clint Heine, said today that despite students associations whining about rises in fees and a lack of consultation, tertiary education was still a good deal.

Mr Heine said "almost all students understand that providing a tertiary education is very expensive, and that it is only fair students should contribute some of that cost themselves."

"Why should we expect every plumber, labourer and small business in the country to be paying for our education through higher taxes? Our friends who have chosen to join the workforce rather than to undertake tertiary study should not be expected to pay for our lives as well as their own."

"Because of their socialist rhetoric and misguided protests, students associations are failing to represent those students who are compelled to join. The real concerns of students are being smothered by a few extremists. Universities know that the compulsory unions are illegitimate and do not speak on behalf of students. It is the unions' lack of credibility which leads to their ineffectiveness."

"Why should a university negotiate with inflexible, ideological fringe groups who represent no one but themselves and serve no cause but their own?"

"A bigger concern than fees for many students is whether or not they'll be able to get a job when they graduate. The tax, spend and bust policies of the left will see us graduating into unemployment. Under a Labour-Alliance government, students will continue to flee the country in an attempt to escape punitive tax rates and a declining economy. The centre-right, on the other hand, will allow businesses to create employment by keeping out of their affairs and will reward our study with low taxes."

Clint Heine said that if students associations were really concerned about the cost of tertiary education they should cut their levies, rationalise spending, introduce voluntary membership and let the real voice of students be heard.

ENDS

For more information, contact:
Clint Heine (+64) (03) 4779442
president@rebels.org.nz

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