The Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Education, Senator Fiona Nash, said it’s becoming more and more obvious that Labor doesn’t care about regional students.
The Minister for Tertiary Education, Senator Chris Evans, is trying to stop the senate from debating Senator Nash’s bill that would make the Independent Youth Allowance criteria fairer for students living in `inner regional’ areas. Thousands of these students are struggling to get the assistance after changes the Labor government made to the criteria.
Labor, backed by the Greens and Independent senator Nick Xenophon, blocked debate on the bill last week. The minister then tried to pressure the President of the Senate to effectively kill it off, by stopping it from being debated in the future.
“The minister said the bill involves expenditure and therefore it cannot be debated in the senate. The President of the Senate disagrees and indeed said it was inappropriate of the minister to ask him to take steps to ensure the bill doesn’t proceed on any basis,” Senator Nash said.
“The Clerk of the Senate, Rosemary Laing, also states bills of a similar nature to mine have been introduced in, and passed by the senate. They include the Urgent Relief for Single Age Pensioners Bill 2008 and the National Health Amendment (Pharmaceuticals Benefits) Bill 2007. Her submission to the inquiry that’s now underway says: `These bills are the equivalent, in all constitutional respects, of Senator Nash’s bill which is the subject of the committee’s inquiry.
’“Why didn’t the minister write to the President of the Senate demanding the Pensioners bill not be debated? Why is Labor going to such lengths to gag my bill?
“I can only assume the minister’s scared stiff the bill will actually get through the House of Representatives, if passed by the senate, based on the previous support of the House of Representatives in fixing this injustice.
”The House of Representatives recently endorsed a Notice of Motion that’s similar to the bill, to reinstate the original, and fairer, eligibility criteria.In the senate tonight, Senator Nash demanded the minister explain his actions.
“I cannot understand why Labor is so intent on stopping any assistance for regional students, they deserve better,” she said.
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