The debt elephant
I've been spending some time over the last week down at Otago University. The Alliance has always had good support from students here, as well as working class suburbs such as North east Valley and Port Chalmers. The student population are one factor that makes Dunedin North a unique and interesting electorate.

It's also a factor as to why Labour and National politicians should be afraid. The student debt monster has grown and grown. A lot of students just take the plunge and take out the loan. It's only a few years down the track when they realize the effect this debt has on them, when combined with mortgages, other loans incurred while studying, and those nasty pieces of plastic called credit cards. Debt is one issue that I think is having an enormous and little understood effect on the lives of working people, and especially the new generation who are getting hit with it.

Over the next week or two, I am going to bring up the issue of debt, and how our younger generation are being sold out to the interests of an anti-social and self-interested financial system.

I like the idea of the Victoria University Students Association who say:
"This year, students intend to make it very clear to the Labour Government that it will not win votes from debt - laden students and their families. Students are in debt to the tune of $7 Billion, and still rising. In the last five years Student debt has more than doubled."

It's like trying to hide an elephant under a rug. It's the issue that the establishment parties don't want to mention. It's too big, too ugly, and they brought it into the world. Why thank National and Labour with your vote at this election? The Alliance stands for free education funded by progressive taxation.
- posted by Victor @ 10:09 PM