Craighead Diocesan School invited the Rangitata Candidates along to speak to the girls who are looking to vote for their first time in the coming election. Around a dozen girls and a few teachers gathered in the library and I decided to run our tertiary education policy past them and to get them thinking about life after school.

Here's my opening address: More...

Following David Shearer's (Labour's Tertiary Education Spokesperson) visit to Timaru, the South Canterbury Herald gave me an opportunity to answer some questions on United Future's Tertiary Policy and how it relates to the Rangitata electorate.

What is wrong with National's tertiary policy?

The problem with National’s policy is that it doesn’t do enough to address the cost of education and the country’s growing mountain of student debt.

When they were in government, Labour bought in interest free student loans. Then this term National added a 10 per cent payment incentive for any extra student loan repayments made over the minimum required.

These two changes have helped, but United Future believes that we need to do a lot more. More...

The following letter was published in the Timaru Herald:

It is disappointing to see criticism from both the Timaru Herald and the Labour Party towards the refurbishment of the Darwin block at Aoraki Polytechnic. The refurbishment is an investment in the future of both the Polytech and of Timaru. More...