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Coalition Fights for Country Kids
05-October-2010
The Federal Coalition moved swiftly this week to overturn inequitable laws enacted by the Gillard Government, which thwart country students' ability to study away from home.
In early 2010 Labor altered the eligibility criteria for the Independent Youth Allowance requiring students from areas identified as “Inner Regional” to work more hours for longer before being considered as “Independent”.
“Inner Regional” areas inside the Farrer electorate include Albury, the surrounding area and major towns north to Wagga Wagga. A large geographic area south of the Murray is also being disadvantaged .
Ms Ley says “as a matter of urgency, just 3 days into this new Parliament we have lodged a motion calling on the Government to overturn this terrible legislation. During the election campaign the Coalition committed to re-classify Inner Regional students the same as Outer Regional, Remote and Very Remote.”
This will allow ALL country students’ access to the Allowance (providing their Parental Combined Income is less than $150,000, and the young person is living away from home to study). Ms Ley added “unbelievably Federal Labor has ignored the advice of its own, with a 2009 Victorian Government Committee labelling these new measures as disastrous.”
She says “unlike the Gillard administration, the Coalition wants to encourage students to complete Year 12 and to support them when if they must move away from home to benefit from higher education”.