OPINION: I've said this before and I want to say it again, we spend far too much taxpayer dollars in the wrong area. It's ineffective, it's money down the drain or it's money not spent at all.
This time Finance Minister Grant Roberston is staring down the barrel of his own gun with a big red face of embarrassment. This is his "whoops" moment.
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It was the so-called bribe of the last election, free fees for first year tertiary students and in return Labour was hoping that would get them out of bed on election day.
Well they stayed in bed and barely uttered "thanks Grant". They actually rolled over and said leave me alone I'm sleeping.
They simply didn't show up for the free education, another Labour policy that's ended up looking and sounding like one of those little fart cushions that people sit on.
Hundreds of millions not spent, thousands of students who never showed to take advantage of free fees.
Labour should give them a permanent tough love moment, pull the policy now, no more free fees - not in year one, year two or year three.
Save the money and spend it on people who really need it, like the teachers or give it back to us. Hell will freeze over before that'll happen I suspect.
Not much is working - KiwiBuild, capital gains, free fees. That was then, this is reality.
Duncan Garner is the host of The AM Show.
