‘Inner regional’ students shown further contempt
23-March-2011
Last night ‘inner regional’ students were again left disadvantaged when Labor and the Independents voted against an amendment that would see fairer criteria reinstated for Independent Youth Allowance.
The Coalition moved an amendment to Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) legislation to restore the former and fairer eligibility criteria for `inner regional’ students from July 1 this year, however it was defeated in the House.
Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton spoke on the amendment last night stating “this youth allowance saga has been running for some time now in this place and the effects of it have been felt widely across regional Australia, no more so than in my electorate.”
“I believe in Australia we should have equal access to education regardless of where we live.”
Mr Coulton guaranteed that the Nationals will continue to fight for this fairness for ‘inner regional’ students.
“We are determined, on this side of the House, not to let this issue die.”
“There is no greater investment that a country and a government can make than the education of the next generation of Australians. We have a double standard where someone who lives in a metropolitan area they can live at home with mum and dad and attend university – they would probably have a choice of several universities – but someone that comes from regional Australian, from a town like Dubbo or Mudgee, would miss out purely because of a line on a map.”