Changes to Independent Youth Allowance a win for Inner Regional students
14-September-2011
Students in Dubbo and Mudgee will no longer be disadvantaged by the unfair changes introduced by the Gillard Government to the Independent Youth Allowance criteria, Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton stated today.
The Government has announced today that the areas classified as “inner regional” will now be able access Independent Youth Allowance under the same criteria that applies to students from Outer Regional, Remote and Very Remote areas.
“This announcement by the Government today has come as a great relief for many families in Dubbo and Mudgee,” Mr Coulton stated. “The Government has finally recognised that their changes to the eligibility criteria were unfair and now the criteria applied to all regional students is the same regardless of where they live.”
“These changes are in line with what my colleagues and I have been calling for, for over a year now. We have tried numerous times in the Parliament to solve this matter, yet the regional Independents always sided with Labor and left the inner regional students in their electorates out in the cold.”
Mr Coulton warned though that this new announcement does not address the problems faced by the 2009/10 school leavers who have been affected by the Government’s current unfair rules.
“The changes will not be implemented until 1 January 2012 and we are yet to have the Government clarify whether these changes are retrospective. If they are not, then it means the Government has hung 2009/2010 Dubbo and Mudgee school leavers out to dry, as these changes will not apply to them.”
“My colleagues and I have been pursuing this issue relentlessly. However, the parents and students of inner regional areas have fought very hard and have secured a big win.”
“The fact is that these changes should have never happened in the first place. They were not necessary and only placed unwanted stress on school leavers and their families.”
“It is yet again another failed experiment by this Government. Time and time again they are proving they have no idea when it comes to regional Australia.”