Ex-Critic editor puts up pointless, doomed bill

Ex-Critic editor puts up pointless, doomed bill

Green Party list MP Holly Walker has introduced a Private Member’s Bill for the next ballot at Parliament, which aims to reinstate student allowances for postgraduate students. However, with little hope of majority support, the bill appears to be purely symbolic.

In 2012, the government changed regulations to prevent postgraduate students from claiming the student allowance. The change came into effect in January this year, and Otago’s postgraduate enrolment rate has dropped by 8.5%.

Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce claims that an improving economic situation is encouraging students into the job market, but Walker claims that the figure “is not in line with trends we’ve been seeing.” She says postgraduates have been priced out of study, especially those who had begun study last year and did not expect the changes to come into effect until later in the year. Walker argues that urgent action is needed to reinstate the allowances, and has drafted the Education (Student Allowances Availability) Amendment Bill, a Private Member’s Bill which she hopes will be drawn in a ballot to be held on 16 May.

Asked if the bill had any hope of passing its first reading, Walker said “I don’t want to pre-judge,” but admitted that getting support from the same government that cut the allowance just last year was unlikely. Although John Banks was ruled out as a supporter of the bill, Walker thought that the Maori Party might be supportive because Maori students have also been affected by the allowance cut.

Walker says she wants to use her bill as a political tool to force Parliament to debate the issue. Despite the fact that Walker has already questioned the government on the scheme to no avail, she says the bill is worthwhile because “it means the government actually has to vote against it.”
This article first appeared in Issue 10, 2013.
Posted 4:00pm Sunday 5th May 2013 by Jack Montgomerie.