1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,080 Speaker 1: The ACT Party wants Auckland University to pay back thousands 2 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:04,720 Speaker 1: of students who were forced to take a paper on 3 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:06,920 Speaker 1: the Treaty of White Tongue Antha al Mahori. This year 4 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:09,520 Speaker 1: course was of course compulsory. This year it was controversial. 5 00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:11,440 Speaker 1: It looks like it's going to be voluntary next year. 6 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 1: ACT MP Palmjeep Palmer is with us on this. Hello 7 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: pajet Hello, did it really cost up to five seven 8 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:19,960 Speaker 1: hundred dollars per student? 9 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:24,479 Speaker 2: That's for international students really? And what was it? 10 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 1: What was it for domestic students? 11 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 2: Domestic? Close to one thousand dollars? Okay, so it's a 12 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 2: very expensive paper? 13 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 1: Is that more? Is one thousand dollars for the paper? 14 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:34,840 Speaker 1: More expensive than your average paper? 15 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 2: So normally that's the cost. But one thousand dollars students 16 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:44,240 Speaker 2: have to pay for this paper which is not providing 17 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:45,879 Speaker 2: any educational value. 18 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:48,519 Speaker 1: Have you had a chat to Auckland Council. Have you 19 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 1: actually engaged with them on and gotten an indication from 20 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:52,559 Speaker 1: them as to whether they would be prepared to pay 21 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:52,960 Speaker 1: it back. 22 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 2: So what I've done is I've written a letter to them. 23 00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:00,319 Speaker 2: I've urged them to adopt Senate's decision. Because it will 24 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 2: be really important for them to adopt that decision because 25 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 2: then it becomes formal and then this paper becomes optional 26 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:09,080 Speaker 2: from next year. I'm really urging them to do that, 27 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 2: otherwise it is going to hurt university's reputation if they 28 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:16,320 Speaker 2: don't do that, because this is about student's choice. What 29 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 2: we have seen is so far is that university has 30 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:23,919 Speaker 2: completely ignored a student interest going forward. That should not happen. 31 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:27,039 Speaker 2: And given this is the only batch that is going 32 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 2: to suffer because of this bad decision of the university, 33 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:33,680 Speaker 2: I have written in the letter that the university should 34 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 2: be thinking about some sort of relief for these students, 35 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 2: and I have provided one idea in that letter. That 36 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 2: is to provide financial credit, which should be equivalent to 37 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 2: fees that students paid for WTR, so that students can 38 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 2: use this towards the paper of their choice. 39 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 1: Okay, the thing is, they did get credits from these papers, right, 40 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 1: And if they hadn't got credits from these papers, they 41 00:01:57,560 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: would have had to get credits from other papers, which 42 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 1: would have cost them as well. So they ended up 43 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: probably about the same, haven't they. 44 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 2: So my thinking here is that students didn't get to 45 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 2: study what they really wanted to study, so they had 46 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 2: to push some papers out, papers that they really wanted 47 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:17,359 Speaker 2: to papers that are relevant to the degree or their expirations. 48 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 2: So they'll have to do that paper in future semesters. 49 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, fair enough, palg Thanks very much for your time, PALMJ. Palmer, 50 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: AX Party, MP and Education spokesperson. 51 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 2: For more from Hither Duplasy Alan Drive, listen live to 52 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 2: news talks they'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow 53 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.