Student Loan Editorials

The NZ Herald is scathing, labelling Labour’s move as smacking of desperation and “political bribery at its most base“.

They also label the approach as highly flawed saying it “will surely increase borrowing and encourage students to pay off loans at the minimum rate“.

The Dominion Post says:

The public is also entitled to be cynical about the timing. Suddenly, after telling the public there is no money for tax cuts, Labour has found the cash for a big-ticket item. Suddenly, after doing little while in government about a problem which had been growing for years, Labour has found the political will to address it.

And the Press:

If the beginning of this election campaign is any indication, such restraint looks like being thrown to the wind. Having sworn blind that there is no money to spare, particularly not for tax cuts (it’s all been spent, the Finance Minister, Michael Cullen, keeps telling us) suddenly a hitherto unnoticed $1.9 billion is available to be doled out. The student loan proposal will barely touch it, so presumably we will see more dipping into that particular cookie jar before long.