Heather Roy, MP, ACT Party:
Because students can think for themselves, and they can work out whether or not they want to belong to a students’ associations. If they feel that it’s providing value for money, they’ll sign up, but it shouldn’t be compulsory… We want to make student membership voluntary; that’s the first reason. Secondly, the really big issue that faces New Zealand at the moment is the economy. We believe that we have the recipe that will actually stimulate economic growth. The thing that we need to do… is actually make everybody better off—lift everyone’s performance. … That’s what will allow us to be more generous to groups are more vulnerable. When students say they need more assistance with living allowances and the like, those are the sorts of things that we’ll be able to do when we have a strongly performing economy. And the third thing is that we have a strong focus on education—not just tertiary education, but education across the board… Our school choice policies will actually lift the level of education in this country, so that opportunity is greater for more New Zealanders as they go through the compulsory sector, and offer better opportunity at tertiary level.
Gareth Hughes, MP, Green Party:
Green’s the only party with a vision to have an economy which works for everyone. This is built on our asset, which is our people and our clean green brand. We’ve got to make that a reality; that’s the key to a prosperous economy. The Green Party loves students. We’ve stood up for students whether it’s voluntary student membership, or cutting the student fees or open access. Greens have been the champions for students in Parliament. And, lastly, I’ve got a private Member’s Bill in Parliament that would set a minimum warm healthy standard for rental properties. The state of student renting in flats is shocking, and students are getting sick from their houses. I’ve got a law which would make students’ homes warm, safe and healthy.
Grant Robertson, MP, Labour Party:
We have always stood up for student issues—we’re the people who brought in interest-free student loans, and we made more people eligible for student allowances, so we’ve got a good track record for students. That’s the first reason. The second reason is that we’re not going to allow a return to youth rates; in fact, we’re going to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour so students will be better off. Third reason is we’re introducing a tax-free zone for the first $5,000 that you earn, and that will apply to students and other beneficiaries as well. But there are lots more than three reasons.
Paul Foster-Bell, MP, National Party:
Look, there are more than three fantastic reasons why students should party vote National, but the top reason for students is that National is going to remove their compulsory student unionism. They’re not going to have that forced upon them. They’re going to save that $130, or opt to join the union if they want to; it’s giving students the same human rights and choice as everyone else. That’s one great reason. The second reason is, when you come out of university, you’re going to want to get a job: an interesting, well-paying job. And National’s building that vibrant, dynamic, growing economy that will let people move out of university and into great jobs. And a third reason is that once you’re out of university, you’re going to be reliant on the same public services as everyone else: same transport, same health, the same public services. I think that some of those services are going to be massively improved under National. … I think those are three great reasons to party vote National.