People power sees fairness restored to Independent Youth Allowance
01-November-2011
Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton has spoken in Parliament supporting the Social Security Amendment (Student Income Support Reforms) Bill 2011, which reinstates the original and fairer eligibility criteria for students living in `inner regional’ areas.
After more than two years of lobbying by students, parents, education stakeholders, communities and the Nationals, the Gillard Government on 21 September 2011 finally introduced legislative changes to remove the strict criteria that meant inner regional students had to work up to 30 hours a week for up to 18 months before being considered independent.
Mr Coulton spoke on the legislation expressing his frustration that it had taken two years for the Government to make the necessary changes to restore equity for regional students, calling it a “hollow victory”.
“While it is with some degree of satisfaction that I rise to acknowledge that this bill will correct an anomaly in delivering outcomes for regional students, it is very frustrating that it has taken two years to get to this point.
In the Parkes Electorate, students in Mudgee and Dubbo were classified as inner regional and were subjected to the strict criteria. Mr Coulton said he had been inundated by calls and emails from parents and students who were affected by the changes, and that it was one of the biggest issues that has affected his electorate.
“It has probably been the single issue that has carried the highest level of interest from my electorate for the last two years.”
“It was the students that were living in Dubbo and Mudgee who were being disadvantaged,” Mr Coulton said. “I had parents come and see me during the last two-year period saying they had got to the point where they would have to decide as a family which of their children they thought had the aptitude for a tertiary education and which of them did not. In 2011, I think that is an absolute disgrace.”
Mr Coulton took aim at the regional Independent Members Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor who voted with the Government to stop the Coalition introducing measures that would have immediately restored fairness for ‘inner regional’ students.
“I find it very frustrating that, at various opportunities we have had in the last two years to rectify this problem, we have not had the support of the Independents who are so glued to their coalition partners that, every time an opportunity came up to fix this, they have supported the government. I think it is to their everlasting shame that they did not stand up for the students in their electorate.”
Mr Coulton said it needed to be noted that this issue for ‘inner regional’ students was caused by the Prime Minister when she was Education Minister and he stated it highlighted the Government’s complete lack of understanding of regional areas.
“It is clear that this government has very little understanding or compassion for the people and students of regional Australia.”
“The Prime Minister brought in these changes when she was Education Minister, and in my time as a Member of Parliament I have never seen an issue cause such heartache and so much grief.”
The legislation was introduced to the House of Representatives on 21 September and is expected to be debated in the Senate in November.
“This is a victory for the coalition, and I pay tribute to my colleagues Fiona Nash, Darren Chester, Christopher Pyne and Nola Marino, who led this charge. But it is a hollow victory when this change should have never been made in the first place.”