Government Cuts Education Funding As Youth Jobless Rate Climbs

Youth unemployment is climbing, more young New Zealanders are leaving overseas, and the Government’s answer is to slash support for tertiary education while protecting tax cuts tilted towards landlords and the wealthy. The Greens say the coalition is dismantling opportunity at exactly the moment young people need it most.

Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson says the Government is callously trading away New Zealanders’ education opportunities to pay for tax cuts for the super-rich.

“Unemployment has soared since Luxon came to power, and the situation is even worse for our young people,” Davidson says.

“While Luxon, Peters and Seymour have no hesitation in undermining New Zealanders’ dreams of contributing to society, the Green Party will fight to properly fund the aspirations of our youth and students.

“Over 14% of New Zealand’s young people are not in work or education but instead of helping people stay in study, the Government is snatching away the funding that supports and incentivises tertiary education.

Cutting education while unemployment rises is economic vandalism

“At a time when tens of thousands of our young people are fleeing offshore for better opportunities, we need to be investing more in them not less,” Davidson says.

What kind of future does this Government actually want?

“’Fees free’ recognised the benefit to Aotearoa of tertiary education and stripping this away is a clear sign of the lack of value this Government places on learning.

“Putting aside Peters’ obvious intent to destroy his own Government, this is yet another example of National, ACT and NZ First making ordinary New Zealanders pay to subsidise the super-rich.”