Sepuloni Carmel: Student Loan Scheme (Exemptions and Miscellaneous Provisions) Amendment Bill — In Committee Third Reading 
Sepuloni Carmel: Student Loan Scheme (Exemptions and Miscellaneous Provisions) Amendment Bill — In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:660;Page:9414] 
CARMEL SEPULONI (Labour) 
: 
 I have some ideas for what we could rename the Student Loan Scheme (Exemptions and Miscellaneous Provisions) Amendment Bill but I will get on to that shortly. I refer to something that Moana Mackey talked about. She said that while she was studying during the 1990s even though she was not working full time—she was studying part time—every time she got that statement from the Inland Revenue Department she saw that interest had been added on to her student loan. That is something that I saw that Grant Robertson saw and that a number of us saw. 
We were very thankful when the Labour Government introduced interest-free student loans in 2005 despite opposition from the National Party at that time. National thought that it was corrupt and irresponsible of the Labour Government— 
Chris Hipkins 
: A hoax they called it. 
CARMEL SEPULONI 
: National called it a hoax and thought it was irresponsible of the Labour Government to bring in a provision that ensured all New Zealanders had the opportunity to have equal access to tertiary education. We know that one of the biggest barriers to participation in tertiary education is the finances. As a person who went through tertiary study during the very very bad 1990s all I can say is that I appreciated the fact that in 2005 student loans were made interest free. 
Across the course of this debate we have had a few interjections and comments from the floor. I want to clarify something for Mr Garrett who interjected earlier and asked whether I had even graduated. That is typical of the attitude from Mr Garrett. I will clarify for him that yes I did graduate. I graduated three different times with three different qualifications so I thank him very much for that query. 
If we look at the title of the bill we see it is the Student Loan Scheme (Exemptions and Miscellaneous Provisions) Amendment Bill. I think that when thinking of different titles for this bill we need to look at the broader picture with regard to the public comments that have been made by National members of Parliament including the Prime Minister and some of the actions that National has taken on tertiary education during its term in Government. One possible alternative title for the bill could be the “Student Loan Scheme (Does Not Really Make Up for Paula Bennett’s Training Incentive Allowance Cuts But Anyway) Amendment Bill”. That goes back to what I was saying before with regard to some of the actions that have been taken with tertiary education and the fact that the National Government does not take seriously the need for a range of different people particularly those who are marginalised or underrepresented in tertiary education to have equal access to tertiary education. 
Another possible title I think we could add to the mix might be the “Student Loan Scheme (We Will Tutu With It Now But Make the Drastic Changes Later) Amendment Bill” because that is basically what the Prime Minister and the Minister for Tertiary Education have indicated to the public they will be doing by their recent comments that they will be taking a serious look at the student loan scheme. The Prime Minister has alluded to the fact that some students have taken advantage of the scheme or he believes that they have been mucking around and not taking it seriously. All of those things indicate that down the track National will be looking to make drastic changes. 
As has been mentioned in this Chamber today the ones who will be affected by the changes that we anticipate the Government will make down the track are those from lower-income families Maori and Pasifika and also as I mentioned before women. Already we have received a number of letters and emails from women stating that it would be very difficult for them to study this year knowing that the training incentive allowance will not be available for them. The Minister for Social Development and Employment said that she would put in a provision so that they could have an extra $500 on their student loan but for a student $500 on a student loan is nothing compared with the $3800 that was cut from the training incentive allowance. That money was a cut for women who are looking after children by themselves and who are already struggling with things like childcare and even transport with regard to getting to their tertiary institution. Many of them have come out of sometimes tumultuous relationships and we have this Minister for Social Development and Employment deciding to cut something from them.