Slashing of TEC jobs a false economy

new-zealand-labour-party

Fri Apr 03 2009 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Slashing of TEC jobs a false economy

Friday, 3 April 2009, 2:04 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party

Hon Maryan Street
Tertiary Education spokesperson

2 April 2009 Media Statement
Slashing of TEC jobs a false economy

Today’s confirmation that 70 jobs are to be cut from the Tertiary Education Commission represents a backwards step in the drive to upskill New Zealanders,
says Labour’s Tertiary Education spokesperson Maryan Street.

“It also makes a mockery of the Government’s claims it is capping, not slashing the public service.

“The cuts, which include the jobs of frontline advisers, will undermine TEC’s ability to ensure there is proper accountability around the investment of public money in tertiary education courses,” Maryan Street said.

“The TEC is responsible for allocating more than $3 billion of taxpayers’ money every year and was set up as a result of concerns that money wasn’t always being spent wisely.

“This is not a ‘value for money’ move – rather it is likely to have the opposite effect and reduce the accountability TEC has introduced.

“The tertiary education providers TEC monitors are the very organisations which New Zealand is going to turn to more and more as the recession deepens, to upskill New Zealanders and ready them for a smarter, more productive economy when we come out of the recession,” she said.

“It makes no sense to trim back the frontline services to universities, polytechnics, private training institutions, and community and adult education providers when we need them even more than ever.

Labour State Services spokesman Grant Robertson said “today's job cuts represent very real proof that John Key's claim that National is capping but not cutting the public service is utter rubbish. Mr Key should look the people in the eye who have lost their jobs today, and answer their question as to how they will support themselves and their families."

Labour Associate Tertiary Education spokesperson Carmel Sepuloni said it was particularly disappointing that over half of the dedicated Maori and Pacific positions in TEC had been axed.

“It raises serious questions about whether this Government has any real commitment to upskilling our Maori and Pacific communities and what else it has in store for them.”

ENDS

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