Labor and the Independents refuse to acknowledge the many regional students who are in limbo and waiting for something to be done to fix independent youth allowance.
The Gillard government and the Independents apparently believe it’s best to make students wait until next year after once again blocking a Coalition Notice of Motion to act within days.
The Coalition’s motion, moved by the Shadow Education Minister Christopher Pyne in the House of Representatives today, sought to have the government to bring forward its timetable to resolve the matter soon after 1 July. That’s when a review of student income support reforms is due to report.
The Coalition believes the current, fairer eligibility criterion that applies to students in outer, remote and very remote regions should apply to those in inner regions. Inner regional students are currently struggling to qualify for the allowance because they have to work full time for up to two years under changes the Labor government made.
The motion would have also had all students, who’ve had a gap year in 2010 and who meet the relevant criteria, qualify for the payment.
“But unfortunately Labor, the Greens and Independent MPs, with the exception of Tony Crook, voted against the motion in the lower house today,” the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Education, Senator Fiona Nash, said.
“It is the third time Labor and the Independents have rejected the Coalition’s calls to act now. They would rather wait until at least January next year before doing something, if that does in fact happen. The Tertiary Education Minister, Senator Chris Evans, recently admitted to the ABC that any removal of regional distinctions does not mean a reversal back to the single gap year requirement.
“Their decision today to block the motion leaves many 2010 school leavers in limbo, wondering what changes there may be next year and if they’ll affect them. Meantime 2009 school leavers have had to abide by the current unfair criteria, forcing them to defer their tertiary studies for up to two years."
Senator Nash said the motion’s intent, to have the same criteria apply to all regional students, is similar to an earlier Notice of Motion that the Independents supported last October.
“The Independents have clearly abandoned their earlier principles on fair access to regional education to be Labor lap dogs. They’ve proven they stand for nothing and should be ashamed of themselves,” she said.
“Labor and the Independents are delusional if they think they’re acting in the best interest of regional students.”
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