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SENATE REPORT PROVES CHANGES TO YOUTH ALLOWANCE WERE UNFAIR

Press Releases December 18 2009

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Family First Leader Senator Steve Fielding says a senate report into rural and regional access to secondary and tertiary education opportunities makes it clear that the Government’s proposed changes to Youth Allowance would make it harder for rural and regional students to get to university.

“Students should not be forced to abandon their ambitions for a tertiary education because of financial barriers to accessing educational opportunities,” Senator Fielding said.

“The senate report shows rural and regional students already find it tough enough to get to uni and the Rudd Government’s proposed changes to youth allowance will now make this even more difficult.

“A clever country would be making its easier for its kids to get to university not harder.

“It’s time the Rudd Government stopped penny-pinching when it comes to the education of our children.

Senator Fielding welcomed the report’s recommendation for the introduction of a $10,000 Tertiary Access Allowance, which would be granted to all students required to move away from home to access tertiary education.

“A Tertiary Access Allowance would mean an end to treating rural and regional students as second class citizens and would make it possible for more students in the bush to get to uni.

“We know according to Universities Australia that our students receive amongst the lowest levels of income support across the OECD countries.

“The government is more than happy to spend millions of dollars on pink batts, but when it comes to giving our country kids an education it turns its back on them.”

Under the Rudd Government’s proposal, students would need to work for 30 hours a week for 18 months before they would be eligible for the full rate of youth allowance.

“The government’s changes were unfair and would have put rural and regional students two years behind their city counterparts,” Senator Fielding said.

The senate report can be found at: http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/rrat_ctte/rural_and_regional_education/index.htm