Government cant even back down on Youth Allowance

HON CHRISTOPHER PYNE MP

Federal Member for Sturt

Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training

Manager of Opposition Business, House of Representatives

SENATOR FIONA NASH

Senator for New South Wales

Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Education

The Coalition is pleased that after twelve months of pressure the Government appears to be backing down on independent youth allowance, but many questions remain.

While the Government now seems to be taking this issue seriously after months of refusing to acknowledge the problem, already cracks are appearing in their plan to review the policy and implement changes in 2012.

The Coalition's Bill, voted down by the Government and most of the independents, would have changed the independent youth allowance criteria making it easier for regional students to follow their dreams of a tertiary education but instead students and their families are once again left in limbo.

Students who missed the previous deadline of 30 June last year to apply for Youth Allowance under the old rules may have their hopes dashed by this further delay. These potential students now will not know whether to begin a gap year, unable to trust that the Government will deliver on this new promise.

The Coalition sought to bring on the debate on this Bill today which would have forced the Government to make commitments to these young people rather than be taken on trust.

Unfortunately four of the six independents did not support this move.

We applaud the Member for O'Connor, Tony Crook and Member for Melbourne, Adam Bandt for supporting a debate on this issue.

The remaining independents represent regional areas directly affected by this issue, but they did not even allow a debate to proceed on this matter, which is a blow for their constituents.

This Government's new promise should be weighed against the many broken deals, bungled programs and hopeless mismanagement of youth allowance over the last few years. Why would anyone trust anything this Government said?

This Government promised no carbon tax, but now is drafting one, they promised a national take-over of hospitals, but scrapped the idea, they promised a national curriculum to begin in 2011, but it has been delayed until 2013 and the list goes on and on.

Now the Government promises a review, and another delay. More delays and more reviews but no outcomes for rural young people.

February 21, 2011

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