November 19, 2009
Federal Education Minister Julia Gillard has been accused of ‘botching’ changes to student income support after the Labor Government voted against amendments to protect all students who are currently on their gap year.
The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester said the Minister is clearly embarrassed about the changes to the independent rate of Youth Allowance eligibility criteria which will make it more difficult for students currently on their gap year to pursue their university dreams.
“The Minister has tried to force retrospective legislation through the Parliament and now she is blaming everyone else for the uncertainty that she has created,” Mr Chester said.
“Students have been left in limbo because the government has completely botched its proposed changes to income support. Students have been caught in the middle and the Minister should stop making false accusations against other MPs and focus on giving country students a fair go.
“The students on their gap year did nothing wrong. They followed the advice of principals, careers advisers and Centrelink officers and now the Labor Government is pulling the rug out from under their feet.”
This week in Federal Parliament, the Senate passed amendments to the youth allowance legislation which would have protected all gap year students from the government’s proposed changes.
But the amendments were defeated when the bill was returned to the House of Representatives where the government has a clear majority.
“Clearly there is a problem with the legislation when all parties in the Senate combined to vote against the government’s proposed changes,” Mr Chester said.
“My view is that all students who are forced to move away from regional areas to attend university should receive support to assist with the additional costs that are not faced by students and their families in the city.”
Mr Chester has been an outspoken advocate for additional support for students attending university and has tabled a petition carrying more than 5000 signatures to protect students who are currently on their gap year.
“If the Minister was serious about her so-called Education Revolution she would be looking beyond the current budget cycle and looking to the future of our nation,” Mr Chester told Parliament.
“The Minister’s changes to the system of student income support are designed to be budget neutral – that is, she is taking from one area of the system to bolster another area.
“There is no new spending attached to these initiatives – there is nothing revolutionary about this.
“If we were serious about an education revolution we would not be throwing all of the money at the school halls program; we would have a balanced package that delivered strategic upgrades to schools which need the funding the most and we would be using some of that money to revolutionise the system of student income support.
“It shouldn’t be this hard to get a fair go for regional students.”