I enjoy life on campus, and all that goes with it. I wouldn’t have spent so many years as a student here otherwise. Nor would I have returned to take up my previous job as the head of a residential College. Otago University has been very good to me.
One of the best bits about being the elected Member of Parliament representing the University area is that I get to keep up my connection with life on campus. No-one else in New Zealand can claim to represent an electorate with more students.
Representing an area with more students than anyone else also means I know the issues facing young people and students more than most. Crippling student debt is one of those problems. That’s why I’m proud of Labour’s policy to introduce free tertiary education. Labour has always stood for equal access to education and the opportunity for everyone to pursue the Kiwi dream. We see it as a path to opportunity that everyone should be able to take.
Things have swung out of balance. When I was a student it was possible to get through university working part time. Loans were accessible. Sure, I racked up some debt at University even though I worked on the way through, but I also was able to live reasonably well and knew I could pay it off down the track. Unfortunately, it isn’t that easy any more. An increasing number of people are put off study because costs have risen, and the Government has failed to adequetely support students. Some can’t imagine how they would make enough money to pay the bills and fit study in at the same time. If we value education and people achieving their potential it shouldn’t be that way.
You’ll hear more from me about our fee free tertiary education policy through the year ahead.
Please feel free to bend my ear when you see me on campus. I can also be tracked down at my regular campus clinics or at my office on Albany Street between the Captain Cook and the Rob Roy Dairy.
I’m stoked to be offered the opportunity to continue my regular column in Critic as the local electorate MP for Dunedin North. I’ve found it a great way to get your feedback so I can represent you and your issues directly in Parliament.