How many more job losses are forecasted in Tertiary Education due to further funding cuts? #scrutinyweek

What a cutie having a Moe down at the Wellington waterfront. 🦭 ✨

The Minister needs to explain which polytechnics she is referring to and what additional staff are set to be cut because of her underfunding of the system. 🔗 rnz.co.nz/news/political…

Penny Simmonds said more jobs in polytechnics must go, meanwhile she has been happily spending $1.4 million on consultants in the lower north island alone. 🔗 thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360726…

No responsibility for job losses and funding cuts. ⏪⏪⏪

This is a short sighted and negligent – anti growth mindset. Cutting polytechnics to the bone to make their budgets work makes it clear that tax cuts for tobacco companies are more important to this Government than education.

Standing up regional institutions again like Northtec while cutting them back to the core won’t support students, staff or their communities.

Why scrap all of the hard work Te Pukenga has done to improve its financial viability? It takes us back to an old system that didn’t work. 🔗 rnz.co.nz/news/top/56523…

Academic staff at the Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki (Witt) are fighting back after another round of proposed job and programme cuts. 🔗 thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360740…

When unemployment rises, people turn to retraining—and we should be backing them. But the Government is taking the sector backwards unnecessarily. Let’s invest in staff, support students, and build the strong future workforce Aotearoa needs.

Banning symbols of pride, identity, and inclusion is not leadership — it’s a step backwards. Parliament should be a place of inclusion despite Winston Peter’s views. The rainbow community deserve safety, respect, and visibility- not to be pushed back into the shadows.

Penny Simmonds still can’t show how her new boards will deliver better value than the WDCs. More boards, less influence, half the funding. Kiwis deserve the full picture—time to front up.

You won’t believe National’s latest comments on people sleeping rough: “It’s more a lifestyle choice for them.”🧐⛺️

I’ve been concerned about the National Government’s removing equity funding in tertiary education — especially the cuts to Māori and Pacific equity funding in our Polytechs. But there’s some good news for Uni’s, Minister Reti has confirmed there’ll be no changes.

“Fundamentally flawed” — that’s how Civil Contractors NZ chief executive Alan Pollard described the Government’s decision on vocational training reform. It’s becoming clearer by the day: National has overpromised a model it can’t afford and can’t deliver.

The message was clear - it just doesn’t stack up. Faith in the new federated model and its long term viability is low. The minister needs to come clean with what financial info she has to improve our polytechnics and their ability to deliver quality educational services.