Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour has said the rising cost of school uniforms was placing unfair pressure on families, warning some requirements were edging into extortion.

Speaking to Chris Lynch Media, Seymour was responding to concerns raised by ACT Christchurch MP Laura McClure, who said some families were being forced to spend up to $1,000 on school uniforms, including compulsory branded items such as socks.

Seymour said the issue was particularly serious for families living in zoned areas, where parents had no practical choice about which school their child attended.

“If you’re zoned for a school, you legally have to send your kid to that school, and you can only send them to that school if they have the branded socks,” Seymour said. “That is almost a form of extortion.”

He said uniforms were meant to create a sense of belonging, not impose financial stress on families already dealing with cost of living pressures.

Seymour said schools should be able to specify general categories of clothing rather than forcing parents to buy specific branded items from a single supplier.

“When I went to school, you had to wear black shorts and a red or black polo shirt, but your parents could buy them from wherever suited their budget,” he said.

He rejected arguments that forcing families to buy higher priced branded uniforms was justified because the clothing lasted longer.

“That may be true for some people, but parents should be able to decide based on their own circumstances,” he said.

Seymour said under current law, boards of trustees had the power to set uniform rules under the Education and Training Act, and they could already choose to loosen requirements if they wanted to.

He said the second option was legislative change, which would limit schools to specifying generic items rather than branded clothing, introducing competition and driving prices down.

“That kind of law change would take time and would likely not be in place until at least early next year, but it’s something I would support,” he said.

Seymour said the uniform issue resonated strongly with parents and was exactly the kind of practical concern politicians should be addressing.

“This is the kind of stuff that actually matters to parents right now,” he said.

During the wide ranging interview, Seymour also spoke about Waitangi Day, unemployment figures, and his upcoming State of the Nation address in Christchurch.

He said national unemployment remained a concern, despite positive signs in Christchurch, and warned economic confidence could quickly evaporate if fiscal discipline was lost.

“The state of the nation is improving, but not fast enough,” Seymour said.

He said balancing the budget remained his biggest concern, arguing it was essential to solving many of the country’s broader challenges.