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Labor’s Youth Allowance purge fails in Senate
18-November-2009
MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate release
Labor’s Youth Allowance purge fails in Senate
Rural students who must leave home to study have had a win thanks to Coalition amendments to Youth Allowance reform legislation which were passed through the Senate last night.
Sussan Ley MP, Federal Member for Farrer, has welcomed the decision which will mean the Youth Allowance reforms will now return to the House of Representatives.
“Labor must accept the Coalition’s sensible amendments which will enable the reforms to start on 1 January 2010”, Ms Ley said.
“The Coalition position on these reforms means that we are rejecting the retrospective aspect of the legislation, which would affect students who have taken a gap year in 2009”.
“We must support rural and regional students’ right to go to University, not just next year, but into the future“.
Under the original Bill passed through House of Representatives earlier this year by Labor, eligibility for independence criteria for Youth Allowance would mean that children had to complete 18 months full-time employment of at least 30 hours per week in a two year period. Coalition amendments, supported by the Greens and independents, will mean that students who have to leave home in order to attend University will still be able to demonstrate independence through the ‘gap year’ provisions currently available.
“The Coalition is committed to standing up for regional and rural students. If the Government think they can play politics with this legislation in the hope that the Opposition will not insist on these amendments, we will tell them very loudly and strongly they are wrong” Ms Ley said
“Julia Gillard must support the Bill in its new form. She has ignored the impact on rural and regional children and families since the Bill was announced. She cannot continue to bury her head in the sand at the long-term impact on these people and their communities if she is really passionate about educating our children”.
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Media contact: Debbie Brown (02) 60213264 0428 297 699