Kate Stewart: Health warning: Electioneering may cause nausea

Pre-election promises are like a lollie scramble

This year's election campaigning should come with its own health warning: Voters should be aware that these sickly sweet inducements may cause nausea, vomiting, weight gain, insomnia, tooth decay, choking and in extreme cases may result in a diabetic coma.

Party policies and promises have been coming thick and fast ... the term lolly scramble has been adopted by just about every political commentator and has then been perpetuated by media.

The youth/student vote appears to be a key target market for party leaders as they attempt to find favour with the younger generation.

Halloween has come early kiddies ... not that I would ever recommend taking candy from strangers.

What youngster is not going to be swayed by the promise of a much needed "sugar high"?

But are the policies full of empty calories and too sweet to stomach or maybe others are too sour to swallow.

The race for the youth vote is certainly set to be a hotly contested one with the runners, themselves, requiring some of their own sugar to ensure they cross the finish line with a win.

Bill "The Bubblegum" English will be blowing hard to keep National afloat, while Jacinda "The Jaffa/JAFA" Ardern will be wanting to show that, even as a newcomer to the Labour leader's role, she can roll with the best of them.

The Green's, James "The Jet Plane" Shaw will be hoping his low carbon footprint finds favour with everyone, meanwhile, Gareth "The Gobstopper" Morgan may have to learn the hard way, for The Opportunities Party, that sometimes it's better to bite your tongue.

Marama "The Malteser" Fox will have to prove she's no lightweight in The Maori Party and last but not least we have Winston "The Winegum" Peters ... has this pensioned retro candy from NZ First still got what it takes to relate to the Kiwi youth of today?

A common thread seems to be the student allowance and importance of throwing money into the tertiary sector.

Unless you're studying IT, I'm not so sure this is the direction any party should be taking.

With the speed at which technology is progressing, it's my belief that many university courses will be made redundant as computers gradually take over the jobs of accountants, legal professionals and even some in the field of medicine, to name a few.

Let's face it, with robotics and innovative engineering and design advancing in such dramatic leaps and bounds, there won't be nearly as many positions for those with a tertiary education unless they have the qualification to programme the computer that will eventually do you out of your chosen career.

While the job vacancies appear to be here today in many vocations, by the time students have finished a 3-5 year degree, those employment prospects may well indeed be looking very different.

The idea of racking up a huge student debt only to graduate and discover a computer has since been programmed to do your job for you, at less cost, is not an attractive one, no matter how tempting the financial inducement to study.

The irony is, that those with a higher education in IT have brought about the onset of fewer jobs for those with a tertiary qualification.

Our lolly throwing politicians should be more focused on job creation and sustainability for future generations rather than promoting the money making business of universities.

But what does degree-less me know? #thickandchunky

Sweet and sour feedback is welcome: investik8@gmail.com