Features

The 2012 Election is fast approaching, but with all the scandal, backstabbing and rugby-talk, it's hard to know what the parties actually stand for. Luckily Critic talked to the main contenders to discover their thoughts on what you really need to know.

NEW ZEALAND FIRST
First up, why, in 200 words or fewer, should students vote for your party?
Governments exist to serve their people, not foreign corporations or special interests. New Zealand First is the only party fully committed to the democratic ideal. We stand for core Kiwi values of fairness and security. We envision a New Zealand full of opportunities for young people, a country people are proud to call home. Our practical, commonsense policies will kick-start the economy and return power to the community. It’s time to put aside our differences and work together as a nation to build a better future for all New Zealanders. Students are our social and economic leaders of the future. We invest in them because we believe in them. Our student wing has made a strong contribution to policy. This election NZ First will have one of the youngest candidates, 21 year old former-scarfie, Ben Craven.
What do you intend to do about student debt?
New Zealand First is committed to getting student debt to controllable levels. Too many graduates have been scared off overseas because of their student debt, never to return! We believe in encouraging graduates to stay and to that end we have unveiled our “dollar-for-dollar” policy. For every dollar you repay of your student loan while in New Zealand, we will match it. In some cases New Zealand First will forgive debt where the graduate works for a set time in a specified place – for example as a doctor/nurse/dentist in a rural area.
Do you think universal student allowance is a good idea?
Yes. New Zealand First will abolish income tests and introduce a universal living allowance for all full-time students (including those aged 16 and 17) in tertiary education from 2012. We've been campaigning and pushing this issue for years.
Students are some of the poorest people in the country- what would your party do to help us?
New Zealand First will introduce a tax-free threshold of  $5,100 and lower GST. Along with the universal student allowance, this package will increase the purchasing power of students, and lower living costs. In the longer term, we have a comprehensive plan to get the economy going and this will mean more part-time and holiday jobs.
Many New Zealand graduates move overseas. How would you retain more graduates and prevent the so-called “brain drain”?
New Zealand First is dedicated to making this country an attractive place for talented individuals. We need smart people more than ever. This government has cut funding for research and development, affecting the lives and job prospects of highly qualified people. This party believes in a much higher investment in R&D and tax breaks for industries involved in R&D to boost exports and create more jobs. New Zealand can compete in world markets in “smart” manufacturing and we have an abundance of raw materials that could be processed further in this country. Why do we export logs? Why don’t WE process them? Why is fish caught in New Zealand waters processed in China?  The key to economic success, and in turn getting graduates jobs, is to invest in markets promoting our export economy. To compete internationally our production needs to be smarter – and we need smart people to make it happen.
University fees are on the rise as funding for tertiary education decreases. Do you think this is a problem, and if so, what would you do about it?
University study should be for those who are able to show academic promise, not just those who are able to show some money. New Zealand First will take steps towards establishing a maximum fees cap.
What measures will your party undertake to improve the youth unemployment statistics?
University is not for everyone. New Zealand is suffering from a huge shortage of tradespeople and there have been no real incentives to train apprentices. New Zealand First will reduce youth unemployment through a new policy. Instead of paying teenagers the dole, the dole money will initially go to an employer for a period of one year as an incentive to take the young person on as a waged apprentice. This will create jobs, train tradespeople and prepare New Zealand for the future. New Zealand First does not believe in advertising around the world for tradespeople instead of training our own young people.
One in four children grow up in poverty. What policies do you have to address this?
Unemployment is the most corrosive influence in our society. It destroys family hopes. By creating jobs and opportunity, our unskilled, unemployed and underpaid members of society will have a better chance to look after their families. We will create a mentoring system to help families [who are] struggling to cope with their responsibilities. Good nourishment and medical care has to be available to all New Zealand children. New Zealand First was the party that gained free medical care for children under six, and we aim to extend that.
How effective will the internet piracy bill be, and do you think it’s the best way to prevent copyright infringement?
It’s not going to deter commercial pirating operations. Tech savvy people will use VPNs and software like PeerBlock to get around this piece of legislation. It’s a typical case of politicians from both the main parties failing to grasp key concepts behind a piece of important legislation. A simple question that needs to be asked is: who is monitoring us and how are they monitoring us without severely impinging upon our human rights? New Zealand First opposes the legislation and will try to get it changed.
Do you think that New Zealand should be involved in mining lignite and offshore oil drilling?
Only if it is ecologically safe and we have serious doubts about that. We do not believe in selling off New Zealand resources to international interests. The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a salutary lesson. That occurred at a depth of 1500m, the Raukumara Basin has depths of up to 3000m and also contains a fault line.
If your party were a mythological creature, which one would it be?
The Phoenix, because this election we’re coming back!
 
 
THE GREEN PARTY
First up, why, in 200 words or fewer, should students vote for you?
The Green Party values students; we’ve always been champions of student rights and adequate funding under successive National and Labour Governments. A smart country invests in its young people. The Green Party is committed to increased funding of tertiary education, greater student support and reducing the student loan debt burden.
 
One of our three election priorities is our plan to create 100,000 new green jobs through business incentives and government leadership. This will benefit graduates and, along with our student loan debt write-off scheme for every year you stay in New Zealand, will help keep you in New Zealand.
 
Our other two election priorities are cleaning up our rivers and waterways and lifting 100,000 Kiwi kids out of poverty.
 
Another difference is that we were the only party to oppose the so-called Skynet Copyright law passed under urgency and we believe we need greater legal sources of content like Netflix.
 
What do you intend to do about student debt?
 
The current levels of student debt are unsustainable. We support widening the criteria for student allowances with an end goal of universal student allowances. Additionally the student allowance is not enough to survive on for many students. We think allowances need to be increased so that people can actually live on them. In the long term, we support a transition away from fees via a debt write-off system. This would mean that for each year a student stayed in New Zealand, some of their debt would be written off.
 
Do you think universal student allowance is a good idea?
Yes. Students being forced to borrow to live is a driver of the increasing levels of student debt. A universal student allowance is a simple solution that will help to address the growing student debt.
 
Students are some of the poorest people in the country- what would your party do to help us?
Students are the only sector of society forced to borrow to live. We believe that the best way to reduce student debt is a universal student allowance, at the level of the unemployment benefit, for all full-time students (including students aged 16 and 17 in tertiary education). In relation to the allowable income for students receiving an allowance, [we should] ensure that Studylink applies the Student Allowance Appeal Authority rulings that calculations be based on average weekly income, and not on income in any one week. This would make it easier for students to take on casual employment.
 
Many New Zealand graduates move overseas. How would you retain more graduates and prevent the so-called “brain drain”?
Introduce a debt write-off scheme so that, at the end of studies, each year the person stays in Aotearoa and contributes through paid or unpaid full time work, a year's worth of debt will be wiped. It is natural for people to want to head to bigger cities. We want to ensure that these people return by ensuring that we have a vibrant country.
 
University fees are on the rise as funding for tertiary education decreases. Do you think this is a problem, and if so, what would you do about it?
Rising fees are a problem. They increase barriers to study and increase motivation to skip off overseas and avoid repaying the loan. Initially we would like to see access to the student allowance be universal and increased to the level of the unemployment benefit. One priority is reinstating the Training Incentive Allowance (available to single parents on the DPB) to cover tertiary education. Parents who received it moved off the DPB sooner - a better outcome for parents and children.
 
In the long term we support capping fees and progressively reducing them, matched with increased government investment in tertiary education.
 
What measures will your party undertake to improve the youth unemployment statistics?
Youth unemployment is usually higher than the national average. In the current tough economic times with high unemployment, it is not surprising that youth unemployment is high. One of our priorities this election is a stimulus package to create 100,000 new jobs through greater research investment and exporting renewable electricity know-how.
 
One in four children grow up in poverty. What policies do you have to address this?
Addressing this shameful fact is a priority for us. We’ve developed four solutions which, if implemented, would bring 100,000 New Zealand kids out of poverty within the next term of government.
1.            Make Working for Families work for every low-income family.
 
2.            Provide better study support for sole parents and beneficiaries children do better when their parents have access to education. There used to be support for solo parents to study at university, and it worked: parents moved off the benefit six months earlier and went into higher paying jobs. We’d reinstate and extend this support to help 10,000 people get a higher education and take better care of their kids.
 
3.            Raise the minimum wage to help working parents. 275,000 people work for minimum wage, and many of them take care of dependent children. It’s almost impossible to make ends meet on such low wages. We’d raise the minimum wage to $15 immediately to help working parents provide the basics for their kids.
 
4.            Make sure rental properties are warm and healthy for kids. 375,000 kids live in cold, damp houses which make them sick. Most of these houses are rental properties. We’d create minimum performance standards for rental properties which would ensure warm, healthy, homes for thousands of children.
 
 
How effective will the internet piracy bill be, and do you think it’s the best way to prevent copyright infringement?
 
It depends how you judge effectiveness. The bill as it stands is very easily circumvented by anyone with any technical knowledge or an ability to use a search engine. We advocate that it is better to avoid problems than to legislate against them. The best way to prevent piracy is to make it easy and accessible to obtain content online in a timely manner.
 
 
Do you think that New Zealand should be involved in mining lignite and offshore oil drilling?
 
No. If we are serious about doing our fair share to prevent climate chaos, we must begin to transition away from the use of fossil fuels. Mining the poorest quality coal and drilling for oil in challenging circumstances is not smart and not something we should be pursuing.
 
If your party were a mythological creature, which one would it be?
The Lorax or possibly Pan. Pan likes to play music, dance shirtless and is reportedly very popular with the ladies (female voters).
 
Authorised by Metiria Turei and Russel Norman Parliament Buildings Wellington
 
 
THE NATIONAL PARTY
First up, why, in 200 words or fewer, should students vote for your party?
By giving your party vote to National, you’ll be voting for a team with a proven track record, a team that’s full of enthusiasm, and a team that’s working hard on the issues that matter.
 
National is building the foundations for a stronger economy and we’ve made excellent progress. We want New Zealand to be a place that attracts skilled university graduates like you. Skilled people want to live in countries that pay them more, and businesses want to operate where conditions are favourable. That’s why National is working hard to lift economic growth and education standards. Our tax reforms, for example, reward effort, help people get ahead under their own steam, and encourage students like you to stay in New Zealand.
 
National has put this country on the right track. It’s critical for our future that we stay on track and make the most of emerging opportunities. In these times of global uncertainty, New Zealand needs a strong, stable and effective government, and that’s what National has delivered over the past three years.
 
I urge you to give your party vote to National, so that we can continue our work to build a brighter future for all New Zealanders.
What do you intend to do about student debt?
National is committed to interest-free student loans. In 2009 we introduced the voluntary repayment bonus which provides more incentives for students to repay their loan.
 
Last year we introduced measures to make sure students know that taking out a student loan also brings with it the responsibility to pay it back.
Do you think universal student allowance is a good idea?
A universal student allowance would be extremely expensive. The current student allowance targets students who need it through income testing. If there’s no income testing, there’s a high risk that people who don’t actually need it would get access to the same support as students who do need it.
Students are some of the poorest people in the country- what would your party do to help us?
Students are already well supported in New Zealand.
 
National has committed to the interest-free student loan scheme and has taken steps to make sure we can sustain it into the future. The government funds 75% of student tuition and participation in tertiary education has gone up in recent years – meaning even more Kiwis are entering the workforce with good qualifications and skills.
Many New Zealand graduates move overseas. How would you retain more graduates and prevent the so-called “brain drain”?
National is committed to lifting New Zealanders’ take-home incomes and enticing graduates to stay in or return to New Zealand. This includes the largest tax reforms in 25 years to provide incentives to work and save – including across the board personal income tax cuts that leave two-thirds of income earners with a top statutory tax rate of 17.5 per cent or less.
University fees are on the rise as funding for tertiary education decreases. Do you think this is a problem, and if so, what would you do about it?
Tertiary funding hasn’t decreased.
 
Universities have had funding increases every year for tuition, and tuition fees have gone up under the fee maxima policy, so the amount that fees have gone up has been regulated.
 
The Tertiary Education Minister, Steven Joyce, has given tertiary institutions a pretty clear message that their fees need to be transparent to students.
What measures will your party undertake to improve the youth unemployment statistics?
We know young people were hit hardest by the recession, and that’s why we’ve invested in opportunities for young people. Our Skills for Growth and Job Ops programmes provide subsidies for employers to employ and train young people. These programmes are targeted at young beneficiaries to give them the skills, confidence and experience to get back into work. So far, more than 10,000 young people have completed our Job Ops programme.
 
One in four children grow up in poverty. What policies do you have to address this?
The best way to address poverty is to grow the economy to increase the number of jobs and lift incomes. We are also making changes to the welfare system, to ensure we support those adults into work so they can better support their families. We know that children in families that are working have better opportunities, better health and education, which is why we're focused on helping more people off welfare and into work.
 
We are also focused on lifting health and education outcomes for children. For example, we have boosted immunisation for under-twos, targeted rheumatic fever in vulnerable communities, and introduced National Standards to identify those children who need extra help at school.
How effective will the internet piracy bill be, and do you think it’s the best way to prevent copyright infringement?
Online copyright infringement has been damaging for the creative industry. The Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Act repealed Section 92A of the Copyright Act and replaced it with a new regime to deal with online copyright infringements. The regime discourages illegal file sharing and provides more effective measures to help our creative industries enforce their copyright.
 
Do you think that New Zealand should be involved in mining lignite and offshore oil drilling?
 
National’s goal is to make the most of our abundance of energy resources – hydro, wind, geothermal, oil, gas and minerals. We want to use those resources responsibly to secure our energy future and to lift our standard of living. We're focused on balancing our economic opportunities with our environmental responsibilities. However, fossil fuels, including coal, will continue to play an important part in the global economy, and in New Zealand, as we transition to a low carbon future.

 
ACT
First up, why in 200 words or fewer should students vote for your party?
The current generation of New Zealand students is inheriting a number of long term challenges: income and job opportunities are declining relative to other countries, there are large liabilities to pay for older generations’ pensions and social services, housing has become severely unaffordable. One in four tertiary graduates have already left, and New Zealand has more citizens overseas than any developed country apart from Ireland.
The government is currently borrowing $300 million every week, and not even half of it because of the Christchurch earthquake. This is not the time for politicians who try to buy votes with more spending promises, or even continue the current level of deficit spending. As the Treasury has said in its recent 40 year economic forecast: “Returning from our current position of deficits to one of surpluses will require tough decisions… which will then be followed by equally hard decisions further out.”
ACT is the only party speaking the language of rational long-term economic management. We need to stop talking about spreading wealth around and start talking about creating more of it. In the next parliament, we will push the government to reduce spending, balance the budget, and grow the economy so that the next generation will continue to have economic opportunity. Without a strong ACT presence, John Key and National will continue to borrow and hope.
 
What do you intend to do about student debt?
We believe that the current student loan arrangement is fair. Students get three quarters of their course costs subsidised by the taxpayer. They are required to fund only the remaining quarter, with access to government-provided student loans. No fair-minded observer would seriously suggest that all taxpayers should fund students further still, when graduates are typically the highest earners. ACT’s policies are designed to boost economic growth so that graduates can earn more and pay off their loans faster.
 
Do you think universal student allowance is a good idea?
No. It is not fair that all taxpayers should further subsidise tertiary students. Where governments commit to transferring income, it should be means-tested.
 
Students are some of the poorest people in the country- what would your party do to help us?
No doubt other parties will promise to transfer more taxpayer money to students. This simply is not realistic. Currently, the top 17% of households pay 97% of net taxes. That’s not a misprint, 17% pay 97%. It’s just dishonest to say that taxpayers can be shaken down for even more. The focus for New Zealand economic policy must be on growing the economy. ACT would reduce government spending and cut red tape to attract jobs and investment to our shores.
 
Many New Zealand graduates move overseas. How would you retain more graduates and prevent the so-called “brain drain”?
Research shows that many graduates leave for sightseeing and cultural experiences, particularly in Europe, and they return. However, many do not. They leave for job opportunities and higher incomes. On current trends, we’ll lose 10% of our population to Australia by 2025 for those reasons. Once again, shifting the culture of high tax and overregulation to a culture of investment and entrepreneurship is essential if we are going to offer more opportunities and retain more graduates.
 
University fees are on the rise as funding for tertiary education decreases. Do you think this is a problem, and if so, what would you do about it?
The real problem is that New Zealand universities have been sliding down the international rankings since the previous Labour government capped fees. Like all consumers, students get what they pay for. Because graduates get most of the benefits from their qualification themselves, it is only fair that they should pay the cost. We would look to remove fee caps and increase competition amongst universities as recommended by the 2025 Taskforce.
 
What measures will your party undertake to improve the youth unemployment statistics?
The simplest and most important measure that the government could take is the reintroduction of youth rates. Previously, there was a lower minimum wage for youth because employers are unlikely to take on a youth when they can employ an adult for the same wage. Predictably, employers have employed fewer youth since youth rates were abolished. University of Canterbury economist Eric Crampton estimates that 12,000 youth are unemployed as a direct result of this policy.  Reintroducing youth rates would cost the government nothing and get 12,000 youth back into work.
 
One in four children grow up in poverty. What policies do you have to address this?
This is one of New Zealand’s most serious challenges, because child poverty or the lack of it is an important predictor of success later in life. Those who say it is simply a matter of the government taxing and spending more money, though, should realise that the government already taxes and spends more money than at any time in our history. The keys to reducing child poverty are better jobs for parents, and ending welfare dependency (one in four children are currently growing up in a benefit-dependent household). We would push to turn welfare from being a trap back into a safety net. We would push to have the unemployment benefit withdrawn from anybody who refuses two job offers and to time-limit the DBP to six years.
 
How effective will the internet piracy bill be, and do you think it’s the best way to prevent copyright infringement?
Completely ineffective, and no.
 
Do you think that New Zealand should be involved in mining lignite and offshore oil drilling?
Subject to sufficient environmental oversight, definitely.
 
If your party were a mythological creature, which one would it be?
We are the Phoenix, the critics write us off every election, but we’ve always risen on Election Day.

 
THE LABOUR PARTY
First up, in 200 words or fewer, why should students vote for your party?
The question for students this election is how we get New Zealand back on its feet. The New Zealand you get over next five, ten, and twenty years will be very different depending on the choice we make this year.
That choice will either be Labour’s plan to change the economy so we can keep our assets, pay back the debt, give most New Zealanders a tax break, and grow the economy, or National’s plan to sell our assets and leave us poorer.
Labour will make sure that not just the better off are better off. We’ll help students deal with the rising cost of living by introducing a $5,000 tax free zone and removing GST from fresh fruit and veges.
Labour has the proven track record of delivering for students. When last in government we increased the number of people accessing tertiary education by over 100,000, expanded student allowance eligibility to a further 30,000 people, made student loans interest free and capped the massive university fee rises of the 1990s. We are committed to the fee maxima policy.
Labour will put us in a better place to decide what our futures—and those of our kids—will be like.
What do you intend to do about student debt?
Student loan debt is a huge burden for many graduates. We are committed to limiting this burden and keeping student loans interest-free. Labour in its last term expanded eligibility for the student allowance, froze and then capped tuition fee increases. Both initiatives helped prevent student debt from mounting and reflect our commitment to students.
Do you think universal student allowance is a good idea?
The student allowance is vital to maintaining affordable access to tertiary education for all New Zealanders. Over the longer-term, once economic conditions improve, Labour will resume expanding eligibility to the student allowance scheme, as resources allow, by increasing the parental income threshold.
Students are some of the poorest people in the country – what would your party do to help us?
Labour will make the first $5,000 of income tax-free, whether that be from a student allowance or part-time work. This will mean students will be $500 a year better off as well as not having to pay GST on fresh fruit and vegetables.

 
Many New Zealand graduates move overseas. How would you retain more graduates and prevent the so-called “brain drain”?
Around 100,000 New Zealanders have crossed the Tasman permanently during National’s term, among them some of our best and brightest graduates. Labour’s plan for growing the economy will stimulate career opportunities and high-income jobs to keep graduates in NZ. Specifically, Labour will reinstate post-doctoral fellowships for recent PhD graduates – something that was removed by National – to encourage post-graduates to continue their careers in NZ.
University fees are on the rise as funding for tertiary education decreases. Do you think this is a problem, and if so, what would you do about it?
Tertiary education must be affordable for every New Zealander, but the cost of tertiary education has risen by 18.2% under the National government, according to Statistics NZ. Labour will make sure university funding rates are kept in line with inflation, so universities are not forced to hike fees to make up for government funding shortfalls. We are committed to the fee maxima policy.
What measures will your party undertake to improve the youth unemployment statistics?
Our youth unemployment rate is far too high – our young people represent more of our total unemployment numbers than in any other OECD country. This is a ticking time-bomb and has to be fixed. Labour’s Youth Skills and Employment package will provide a job or training opportunity for the 24,000 teenagers who are currently not working or in education or in training. Among other initiatives it will create 9,000 more apprenticeships by providing employers with an $8,700 subsidy to take on and train young people. This will cost $87 million and be partly offset by benefit savings.
One in four children grow up in poverty. What policies do you have to address this?
Reducing the cost of living and increasing wages for families is central to reducing child poverty. Labour will raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, make the first $5,000 Kiwis earn tax-free, and remove GST from fresh fruits and vegetables. This will help ease the pressure on families and help them with their grocery bills giving people the financial ability to raise children. Our fairer tax system, including a capital gains tax, is designed to ensure everyone pays their fair share and putting the top tax rate for the top 2% of people earning above $150,000 back to 39% will take the pressure off families on low and middle incomes.
Children will be the priority for social spending under a Labour-led Government and our plan for tackling child poverty and well-being will be set out in a six-year Agenda for Change, which will be released shortly.
How effective will the internet piracy bill be, and do you think it’s the best way to prevent copyright infringement?
New Zealand’s Copyright Act has been half-heartedly adapted for the internet age. Instead of more piecemeal reforms, Labour will transform our digital intellectual property framework to bring it into the 21st century and to promote innovation and growth in our economy. National’s file sharing regime potentially allows for the suspension of internet accounts as a punishment for illegal file sharing. Labour strongly opposes this provision and will repeal it in government. To prevent copyright infringement, Labour will actively encourage new business models that will allow content to be distributed online both affordably and accessibly.
Do you think that New Zealand should be involved in mining lignite and offshore oil drilling?
Labour is strongly opposed to this proposal to mine low-grade lignite in Southland. We will strengthen the Emissions Trading Scheme, restoring it to how we intended it operate when we first established the scheme. And under those standards, we believe the Solid Energy proposal in Southland would not pass muster.
Labour opposes offshore drilling without adequate safeguards for local environments and local communities, and a guarantee that a fair share of profits from any extraction will stay onshore.