工党高等教育事务发言人 梅根•伍兹（Megan Woods）

教育部长斯蒂芬乔伊斯4月1日承认：由于国家党政府削减学生津贴，我国读研究生学位的人数将可能下降。而这，为国家党执政下失败的教育记录又添一个败笔。
工党高等教育事务发言人梅根伍兹表示：这些削减表明越来越少的新西兰人有进一步深造的可能性。
教育部长称大约有4000到5000名失去津贴的学生会干脆转去申请学生贷款。但对很多人而言，学生贷款实在不够应付生存所需。
国家党嘴上谈要创造“创新主导的经济”，实际行动却证明他们只是耍嘴皮罢了。真心打造创新主导的经济，则必须大力投入教育，而且这种投入是要从幼儿园到研究生一以贯之的。
放眼世界，高质量的教育是创造更多就业以及高薪的关键所在。可是在新西兰，我们竟有如此一个对高等教育事业以“消灭需求”为已任的政府。
教育不是那种能砍削的支出。教育是对我国未来的投资。
我很高兴斯蒂芬乔伊斯终于听说了削砍学生津贴后果的“传闻证据”。
新西兰全国有无数的学生正徘徊在继续学业或是到海外去深造研究之间。如果我们失去了这些人，就意味着在我国最需要用人的时刻我们失去了优质人才和他们的技能。
教育部长务必对所作决策三思而后行。工党将十分关注4月份学生的注册情况。
（霍建强议员办公室 供稿）

Megan  
WOODS
Tertiary Education Spokesperson                        
1 April  2013                                                        MEDIA STATEMENT

Post-Grad allowance cuts send talent offshore
Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce’s admission today that the number of students in post-graduate study will likely fall as a result of National’s cuts to student allowances, represents another fail grade on National’s education record, says Labour’s Tertiary Education spokesperson Megan Woods.
“Labour warned that these cuts would mean fewer New Zealanders had access to post-graduate study.
“Steven Joyce claimed that the 4000 to 5000 students who would lose access would simply switch to the loan scheme. But for many, the loan is not enough to live on.
“National talks about creating an ‘innovation led-economy’ but its actions show this up as empty rhetoric. A commitment to innovation must go hand in hand with a commitment to education, from pre-school through to post-graduate study.
“All over the world, quality education is the key to more employment and higher wages. But here we have a government with a self-declared ambition of ‘dampening down demand’ for tertiary education. 
“Education is not a cost to be cut. It is an investment in our future.
“I am glad Steven Joyce has now heard the ‘anecdotal evidence’ of what cutting allowances will achieve.
“Thousands of students across the country are choosing not to continue their study or instead taking up post-graduate research overseas. If we lose them, we lose their skills and expertise at the very time we need more qualified people.
“Steven Joyce needs to think hard about the impacts of this decision. Labour will be reading the enrolment returns in April with great interest,” Megan Woods said.