Dunne Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Dunne Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:623;Page:18739] 
1. Hon PETER DUNNE (Leader—United Future) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: Is he comfortable with the notion that those students who miss out on allowances must get a job or take out a student loan as he appeared to state in the House last week? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Minister of Education) 
: 
 Most families with a parental income of over $56000 are prepared to give their children some support. If they are not I am comfortable with those students accessing the very generous student loan scheme or undertaking some part-time or holiday work. The Government is progressively improving student loan and allowance rules and the average fees for tertiary students are dropping. 
Hon Peter Dunne 
: Does the Minister’s comfort extend to the fact that students are now lining up to become guinea pigs for clinical drug trials as a way of earning money to fund their studies and does he concede that students might be going to such lengths to avoid taking out a student loan because the prospect of debt is far more frightening than the side effects of experimental prescription drugs? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: The evidence is that the length of repayment times has dropped substantially under this Government. If one looks at the survey that the University Students Association did one will see that it shows a growing satisfaction. Sixty-two percent of students—up from 15 percent—now say that the Government’s policies are overall fair to them. 
Helen Duncan 
: How much would it cost to give all students a universal allowance? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I am advised that it would cost around $3.35 billion over 4 years to introduce a universal allowance. I am not convinced that that level of spending would increase participation improve quality or in fact help the people most in need. I would rather spend extra money where it can make the biggest difference. 
Nandor Tanczos 
: Is the Minister aware that the average student now works 13 hours per week during term time and does he agree with this comment made by the Prime Minister: “If one can avoid working part time through the year it is desirable because you really need time to put into your course.”? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I am aware of the New Zealand University Students Association survey which mentions a figure of 13 hours a week. I am not aware that that is a fact. 
Bernie Ogilvy 
: Is the Minister at all concerned about the 6200 students who are missing out on an allowance this year because they have worked and on top of that about another 450 who are missing out because they happen to be married because they collectively will take out student loans of about $10000 each which adds up to $66 million excluding interest; and does he accept responsibility for this politically correct economic imprisonment programme that he has allowed to take place? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I will leave aside the last part of that question. I think it is important to know that no student misses out because they are married. Students miss out because of their families’ financial circumstances. 
Hon Peter Dunne 
: Does the Minister believe that the parents of students who are so disqualified will be ever so grateful that the system is now consistent with human rights legislation when discrimination actually remains due to the fact that students under the age of 25 who are married are considered to be dependent on their parents for the purposes of student allowances but if they are on the dole they are not considered to be dependent? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: There is discrimination in this area. It is on the basis of a family’s financial circumstances and I think that is proper. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Was the student loan scheme a part of any confidence and supply negotiation between the Government and United Future after the last election; if so what was the outcome of that negotiation? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I do not have that on the top of my head. 
Bernie Ogilvy 
: Will the Minister be recommending to the Minister for Social Development and Employment that those under 25 years of age on benefits should be means tested based on their parents’ income in light of his statement yesterday that it is fair to consider students under 25 to be financially dependent on their parents; if not why not? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: As I look down the front row of the House I seem to be getting different reactions from the Minister of Finance and the Minister for Social Development and Employment. I will not be getting in the middle of that one.