Labor and Independents have no excuse for botched handling of Youth Allowance for regional students

November 1, 2011

Federal MP Luke Hartsuyker has attacked the Federal Labor Government and the Independents, despite welcoming their back-flip on changes to Youth Allowance criteria for regional students.

The Gillard Government has announced they will axe the 30 hour a week work rule for inner regional students and apply the exact same, fairer criteria that applies to students in outer regional, remote and very remote areas.  This means students from the Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Bellingen, Nambucca and Macleay Valley areas will now be treated equally. Speaking in Federal Parliament yesterday (Monday), Mr Hartsuyker said the Government could not be excused for changing the eligibility requirements for Independent Youth Allowance more than two years ago.

“To many, the changes to the test for independent youth allowance in this bill will make the difference between attending university or not.  It was Labor's failure to listen, and the support offered to Labor in this House by two people who know regional Australia well, the Independent members for Lyne and New England, that resulted in two years of uncertainty, unfairness and hardship.

“For instance, in my electorate, those living in the communities of Urunga and Repton, a mere 10 kilometres apart in the same labour market, were divided by the ruling on independent youth allowance.  Under the government's proposal they would be treated entirely differently. Of course, this could all have been avoided.  It could have been avoided if Labor had been willing to listen. It could have been avoided if two members with an intimate knowledge of regional Australia had not supported Labor's ill-informed plans.

“I refer, of course, to the member for New England and the member for Lyne whose records on this issue amount to a betrayal of regional interests.  When the coalition put forward a bill to provide fairness for inner regional students, the Independent members sided with Labor and claimed the bill was unconstitutional, despite advice from the President and the Clerk of the Senate.  Instead, they opted for a review. When the facts were clear, they opted for a review, which further delayed resolving the issue and ensured that students and their families were left in limbo.

“Time and time again we had the member for Lyne and the member for New England voting with the Australian Labor Party and against the interests of regional and rural students. Time and time again we had the member for Lyne and the member for New England selling out their electorates.  This was despite voting with the coalition in October last year on a notice of motion that would put inner regional students on the same footing as other regional students.   Clearly, they then decided it was in their interests to dance to the government's tune, as they usually do, and voted against our measures which would have restored fairness far sooner.”