Locals Urged To Have A Say on Youth Allowance
21-May-2009
Sophie Mirabella has welcomed the Senate Inquiry on Youth Allowance changes as it has created enormous concern from worried parents and students.
“Julia Gillard’s suggestion that this is a scare campaign just demonstrates how out of touch she is with the needs of her portfolio” Ms Mirabella said. “She has no understanding of rural students living away from home.”
“The future of thousands of young Australians shouldn’t be a political football. This Government talks big about increasing University attendance, but has disenfranchised more than thirty thousand students – particularly from rural and regional areas – from having the financial means to do so.
“The Senate Committee would be able to investigate the consequences of this change – consequences that the Minister and her office should have been able to foresee if they paid any attention to detail.
“It seems that despite Kevin Rudd’s rhetoric about supporting working families, and giving everyone a fair go, Labor doesn’t seem to care about the difficulties confronting the families of students from rural and regional areas in particular.
“Many young people and their parents in Indi have contacted my office and told me they will not be able to pursue further study, purely because they can not afford to do so.
“Their parents are above the threshold for income support, but are nowhere near wealthy enough to be able to pay for their children’s rent, food and educational expenses. Remember these students simply do not have the option of staying at home while they study.
“This is an enormous failure for a Government who claims they want to increase university attendance, particularly from disadvantaged groups.”
“I urge all young people and concerned local parents to post their concerns on www.educationforaustralia.com.au, the Coalition’s education policy forum,” Ms Mirabella said.
“This is another example of why Australia deserves better than a part-time Education Minister.”
May 21, 2009