Regional students working during their Gap Year to earn enough to qualify for Independent Youth Allowance continue to be ignored by the Rudd Labor Government and regional Labor MPs, said Senator Fiona Nash, NSW Senator and Deputy Leader of the Nationals in the Senate.
“The Labor Government’s gag this morning of an important debate on the proposed changes to Youth Allowance in the House of Representatives shows the disregard the government has for students whose study plans have been disrupted,” Senator Nash said. “The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester seconded a motion that was put by Shadow Education Minister Christopher Pyne but neither was able to speak on it.
“The motion condemned the proposed changes as they fail to protect young Australians who had relied on existing rules when they made important decisions about their study plans. It condemned the Government’s failure to recognise the reality of the employment market in regional Australia where 30-hour-a-week full-time jobs for school leavers are in short supply.
“NSW MPs Janelle Saffin (Page), Justine Elliott (Richmond), Mike Kelly (Eden Monaro), Bob Debus (Macquarie) and Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter) were among those who voted to disallow the motion. The Minister for Education, Julie Gillard, has not defended the policy in the Parliament and regional Labor MPs are not giving voice to the concerns of thousands of families affected by this decision.
“The Senate Inquiry into Rural and Regional Access to Secondary and Tertiary Education Opportunities attracted more than 500 submissions and many of these detailed the dire circumstances facing our next generation of students.
“These students have every right to feel betrayed by the Rudd Labor Government and its failure to listen to their concerns.”
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