Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Isaacs for his question, and I know that he is concerned about proper provision of support for students wanting to attend university. The Senate as yet has not reached the student income support bill, so there is still time for the Leader of the Opposition to personally consider this question and personally consider how Liberal senators should vote on this bill in the next debate. I am asking the Leader of the Opposition to consider the following: that this legislation is necessary so that over 150,000 university students who receive youth allowance, Abstudy or Austudy are able to receive a new annual start-up scholarship worth $2,254 when the scheme is in full operation.

This bill is necessary so the parental income test will be raised so that families with two children studying away from home can earn more than $140,000 per year before their allowance is cut completely. Students who choose to move to study may be eligible for an additional relocation scholarship worth $4,000 in the first year. This bill is also necessary so that, from 1 July 2012, students will be able to earn up $400 a fortnight, an increased amount, without having their payments reduced. This bill is necessary so that the age of independence will progressively be reduced from 25 to 22 years of age. That measure itself will see an estimated 6,700 new recipients of the independent rate of youth allowance.

I would ask the Leader of the Opposition to consider the fact that every vice-chancellor of every Australian university, on the merits of this proposal, is asking him to pass the bill; that the National Union of Students is asking him to pass the bill; that every education minister in every state and territory, including the minister who serves in the Liberal government in Western Australia, is asking him to pass the bill.

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