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MINISTER MUST CLEAN UP YOUTH ALLOWANCE MESS

Jan 5, 2010 | Supporting Regional Students

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January 6, 2010

Fixing the Youth Allowance debacle as soon as Federal Parliament resumes should be the Rudd Labor Government’s New Year’s resolution according to The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester.

Mr Chester said Gippsland students remained in limbo as to what financial support would be available to them should they decide to pursue their university ambitions because the Federal Education Minister had refused to work with the Opposition to clean up the mess the proposed changes have created.

“It’s distressing for students across Gippsland who are waiting for their first-round university offers because they have no certainty about what levels of government assistance will be available to them should they move away from home to pursue university studies,” Mr Chester said.

“The government had the opportunity to work with the Opposition in the final sitting of Parliament to ensure regional students had access to crucial financial support through scholarships programs.

“Instead they refused to negotiate and as it stands, regional students have no access to government funded scholarships creating yet another barrier preventing them from reaching their full potential.”

Mr Chester said if the government needed any more proof of the financial strain faced by regional students when moving away from home to attend university they should look no further than the Senate Committee inquiry into Rural and Regional Access to Secondary and Tertiary Education Opportunities, released in December 2009.

“We’ve already seen the outcry from concerned students, parents, teachers and careers officers who contacted the offices of regional MPs across the country after the Education Minister’s proposed changes to the Youth Allowance system were announced,” Mr Chester said.

“The Minister must recognise regional students are being prevented from achieving their full potential because of the extra costs they face when moving away from home to pursue university studies.

“Last month a Senate Committee inquiry made eight recommendations including the implementation of a Tertiary Access Allowance worth $10,000 per year for students forced to move away from home to attend university.

“The Minister should take a close look at these recommendations and introduce them, rather than continuing to forge on with the current mess created by her proposed changes to the Youth Allowance system.”

“It shouldn’t be this hard to get a fair go for regional students and the Labor Government must work with the Opposition to clean up the Youth Allowance mess as soon as Parliament resumes for the benefit of those looking to pursue their university ambitions.”

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