1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,920 Speaker 1: Why has it taken us so long to get serious 2 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:05,880 Speaker 1: about forcing people to pay back their student loans. Eh, 3 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:09,799 Speaker 1: last month, IID had someone arrested at the border. They 4 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:12,600 Speaker 1: have now paid back their loan. Isn't that amazing? They 5 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 1: had been chased and chased and chased and chased, and 6 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: you know that they had because IID only arrests you 7 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: at the border as an absolute last resort. But suddenly 8 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 1: they are arrested at the border, and despite presumably years 9 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:28,120 Speaker 1: of not paying back their loan, they pay it back. 10 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 1: Isn't it incredible what a little bit of pressure can do. 11 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: We've got more on this. By the way, IID has 12 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:36,239 Speaker 1: got in contact with more than twelve thousand people who 13 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 1: are living overseas who owe money on their student loans. 14 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 1: Nine hundred and sixty of them have paid back everything 15 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:46,240 Speaker 1: that was overdue, thirteen hundred of them have started repayment plans. 16 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: Eighty nine people have been warned they will also be 17 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 1: arrested at the border if they don't start paying up. 18 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 1: Eleven of them, as a result of that warning, have 19 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: started dealing with their debt, either by paying it back 20 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 1: or by applying for hardship provisions. Why I'm telling you. 21 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 1: This is because it's nearly a year since the government 22 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 1: threw extra money at ID to chase down these bludges, 23 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:09,200 Speaker 1: and IID has put out a press release with the 24 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 1: latest figures to show that actually, yeah, putting that extra 25 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:14,399 Speaker 1: money in for the enforcement is bearing fruit. The only 26 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 1: question we now have is why didn't we do this 27 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 1: set earlier? I mean, it is not like this is 28 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:21,440 Speaker 1: a new problem. Is that we have complained about this 29 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 1: for years? Haven't we about these people free loading on 30 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 1: the ever generalist, ever generous New Zealand taxpayer, and then 31 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 1: getting a free education over here, going off overseas to 32 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:33,480 Speaker 1: live their best lives, paying taxes somewhere else, not to us, 33 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: not helping us out, helping out some other country, and 34 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 1: then leaving us holding the baby in their debt. Now, 35 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:41,639 Speaker 1: I suspect our lack of action in the past probably 36 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:44,119 Speaker 1: can answer the question on this. I suspect our lack 37 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 1: of action in the past comes down to a general 38 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: attitude towards taxpayers, which is a lack of respect for 39 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: our money. It's been treated like it's never ending, isn't it? 40 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 1: For too long? Treated like it's never ending, simply handed 41 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: out to all and sundry without actually really requiring them 42 00:01:57,480 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 1: to pay it back. We say you got to pay 43 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: it back, but we don't actually mean it. And you know, 44 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 1: this is not something that has been it's not a 45 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 1: historic problem, it's a current problem. A recent case in 46 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:09,560 Speaker 1: point is the small business COVID loans that were handed 47 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 1: out by Grant Robertson in twenty twenty unsecured, right, not 48 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 1: very smart, unsecured. They are now due to be repaid 49 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:20,160 Speaker 1: about I think it's more than eight hundred million is outstanding. 50 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:22,240 Speaker 1: A lot of that will never be repaid. We have 51 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 1: to get used to that idea. We just handed it out. 52 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:26,359 Speaker 1: We're not going to get it back. It is probably 53 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 1: too much to wish for. But wouldn't it be great 54 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:30,519 Speaker 1: if we could carry on getting money back like IIDR 55 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 1: with student loans at the moment. For more from Heather Duplessy, 56 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 1: Allen Drive, listen live to news talks. It'd be from 57 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:41,440 Speaker 1: four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.