Rudd’s university plan: Students from Regional Australia now unwelcome

The Rudd Government’s drastic changes to the Youth Allowance blatantly discriminate against young people from regional Australia who aspire to a university education, according to NSW Nationals Senator Fiona Nash. The May Budget doubled to thirty per week the number of hours young people have to work in their gap year to qualify for the higher, Independent rate of Youth Allowance. Senator Nash said because the measure comes into effect in January 2010, many regional young people currently on their gap year would now have to delay university entry until 2011 or give up altogether on their tertiary education dreams. “In any event with skyrocketing unemployment, particularly in regional Australia, the low-skilled jobs young people compete for just aren’t there,” Senator Nash said. “To make matters worse for regional Australian students, Labor has abolished the $4415-per year Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship, in favour of a Relocation allowance which is just $4,000 for the first year and $1,000 per year thereafter.” “This allowance is available to students who study more than 90 minutes from home, so slashing it is blatant Labor discrimination against young people from regional Australia.” “The changes will cost eligible students undertaking a four-year degree more than $10,000 in lost payments.” “Labor has already accused us of scare-mongering, but the proof is in the Budget papers, with the Government looking forward to ‘savings of $1.8 billion over four years.” “The fact that Labor’s few regional MPs like Janelle Saffin (Page), Mike Kelly (Eden-Monaro) and Justine Elliot (Richmond) stand by and let this happen shows just how ineffective they are,” Senator Nash concluded.

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