The Coalition’s Independent Youth Allowance bill was passed in the senate today.
The Social Security Amendment (Income Support for Regional Students) Bill 2010 was introduced by the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Education, Senator Fiona Nash, last September.
It seeks to amend the legislation so that the same eligibility criteria for the Independent Youth Allowance applies to all regional students.
The Labor government limited the eligibility criteria for students living in `inner regional’ areas where they must now work 30 hours a week for 18 months over a two year period. The original, and fairer criteria remains for students in the other regions - outer regional, remote and very remote.
The Coalition’s bill was passed in the senate with the support of Independent senator, Nick Xenophon, and Family First Senator, Steve Fielding. The Greens sided with Labor to oppose it.
“This is just typical of the Greens despite their rhetoric about representing regional students. They have voted against fair treatment for regional students. They should be ashamed of themselves,” Senator Nash said.
“And so much for Labor’s Education Revolution – Labor is full of hot air. The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, said in a speech when education minister: “Of course getting our young people to university, TAFE and private institutions is only the start. Once there, we have to ensure they get the best higher education and training possible”. (Source: Australian Financial Review Higher Education Conference, 13 March 2008)
“Yet her very own legislation does the exact opposite. It makes it incredibly hard for students to qualify for assistance, to help them afford an education!”
Senator Nash accused Labor of treating regional students as cash cows by denying them sufficient assistance for the sake of being “fiscally responsible”.
“Senator Gavin Marshall’s comments that the Coalition’s bill would sabotage the government’s fiscal responsibility shows Labor does not comprehend the impact its changes are having on regional students. An education for regional students should not be sacrificed for the sake of Labor’s election promise of a 2013 surplus.
“Is this the same Senator Marshall, who at the recent senate inquiry hearing, admitted there was overwhelming support for the Coalition’s bill to make Independent Youth Allowance fairer? He said: “I guess everyone would like to support this bill. In fact we have had very little opposition to it”.
Labor’s claims that the Coalition’s bill is not costed or constitutional are also wrong. It was part of the Coalition’s education election policy and the costing was submitted to Treasury. Treasury did not comment, indicating it had no issues with the costing.
The bill is also deemed constitutional by the President of the Senate. It’s hypocritical of Labor when it’s previously allowed bills of a similar nature to proceed through the senate.
“Labor is starting to appear desperate, made all the more evident when a letter from the Minister for Finance, Senator Penny Wong, was hand delivered this morning, making similar false claims,” Senator Nash said.
The Coalition’s bill will now go to the House of Representatives.
“I hope the Independent MPs, Tony Windsor, Rob Oakeshott and Bob Katter support it as they did a Notice of Motion on the same matter last year.”