Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Roads and Regional Transport) Share this | Hansard source

As is so often the case, I find myself in furious agreement with my neighbour, the member for McMillan, and I thank him and congratulate him for his contribution, particularly in relation to compulsory voting. I concur completely with his sentiments, particularly when you consider the need to engage our younger generation in all aspects of civic life. Unless there is an element of compulsion, I agree with the member for McMillan, perhaps they may not participate in any way whatsoever and their voice will not be heard.

I appreciate the opportunity to rise tonight to speak to the Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2012-2013 because I want to raise an issue which relates specifically towards young people in our community. The issue that I want to focus on in my comments tonight is that of the education opportunities and the lack of opportunities for young people in regional communities, particularly in terms of the way the federal government provides a system of student income support. I have risen many times in this place over the past five years to talk about the way regional students are treated unfairly and inequitably under the current system. I have been joined by my colleagues, including the member for McMillan and several other regional members as well as, I suspect, members opposite from regional communities, to wage a battle which we ultimately won when we opposed the changes that were made to Youth Allowance by the Labor party, with the unthinking and perhaps unknowing support of some of the Independents, who perhaps did not quite realise what they were locking our community into.

Unfortunately, it was something of a hollow victory when we forced changes on the issue of inner or outer regional geographical classifications a couple of years ago. The people's voice was heard, and it was heard very strongly. We had thousands of people from throughout regional Australia signing petitions, writing letters to members in regional areas and attending rallies the length and breadth of Australia. Many of them also contributed to the review that was undertaken by Professor Kwong Lee Dow. But I fear that what has happened in the ensuing period of time has been just tinkering around the edges of the system of student income support.

I believe the system as it exists today needs a complete overhaul. We need to start by recognising the current inequity in the system. Those who live in the suburbs may think this is a welfare or social justice issue, but to me this is entirely about fairness and equity. Rather than have me stand here tonight and lecture the parliament again on this topic—anyone listening can refer to the Hansard for the many, many speeches I have made on it—I want to quote from a letter received today from a family in Geraldton in Western Australia, which is obviously a long way from Gippsland. I have quoted people from the electorate of Gippsland in this place many times before. This letter sums up the feelings of angst and despair amongst many regional people when it comes to the issue of student income support. The letter, from Steve and Kerry Cosh, says:

Firstly and most importantly—it should cost students from regional areas no more than students from city areas to access university education. At the moment this is not the case. Country students, whose families earn more than the parental income threshold, receive no help at all—no Youth Allowance, no Start-up Allowance and no Rent Assistance. How can this be fair when those families living in the city, earning the same income, do not have the relocation and rental costs that regional families are required to pay when their children want to attend university? My husband and I live in Geraldton WA which is located over 400kms from Perth. Our twin daughters attended their first year at university at Edith Cowan University last year. We decided they would need to work a gap year in 2011 after they finished High School as we could not afford the ongoing costs associated with them moving to Perth straight away. We were also of the belief that if our girls gained independence through working a gap year, as many have done before them, they would qualify for Youth Allowance.

That is an important point. It shows that regional families have misunderstood this great, confusing bureaucracy which has developed around Youth Allowance. So the students believed that by taking a gap year and achieving independence, meeting the workforce eligibility criteria, they would be entitled to some student income support. The letter goes on to say:

After checking with Centrelink, to our surprise and disappointment, even though our girls were deemed independent after satisfying the third element criteria, we were told that as from last year, we would be subject to a Parental Income Test. We were of the understanding, as are many others, which 'independent' meant students were not dependent on their families—so why is the family's income taken into account? The recent introduction of the parental income test by the Gillard government has caused a great deal of stress and hardship for us and many rural families.

The letter continues in significant detail. But the parents also make very clear a point about wealth and whether the parental income test is really relevant. They say:

We are in our mid 50's and have a $170,000 mortgage. We only bought our first house about 6 years ago and have very few assets—we do not consider ourselves wealthy at all. … Many of us are not wealthy asset rich families. … The current cost to accommodate students at the Joondalup University Campus is over $200.00 per week each, this did not include meals. … As we could not afford this we were lucky enough to find private accommodation which was very difficult to find. We spent many weekends travelling to Perth, lining up at home viewings along with 30 to 40 other people. The cost of this, including travelling accommodation, was very expensive. In the end it was just luck … we were able to find a rental property. Although we are still paying over $1000 a month just in rent, the cost of re-locating and setting them up with furniture and whitegoods was a very costly exercise. We live over 400 kilometres from Perth and the cost of travelling to visit our daughters is expensive, as it is for them, when they return home for holidays and family reasons. These are all costs that city families and students living at home do not have. After allowing a modest $100 a week for food each, the total cost to us will be over $21,000 for the first year. Many incidental costs occurred along the way as well. This does not take into account the thousands of dollars we will be paying in university fees. Regional students relocating to the city, face not only financial pressure but emotional upheaval as well. Many of these students have not been away from their home and families for long periods of time. Most will be required to find work (and work more hours than city students do) to support themselves along with shopping, cooking and household duties.

They envy their city friends who are still living in the comfort of their own homes. This makes it very difficult for them to find enough time for their studies. We know of students many last year who have returned home before completing their studies because of these added pressures. These regional students are legally adults, have worked for a year and don't live in the family home. They are looking after themselves and most have to work part-time while studying to make ends meet. They are living independently and should automatically qualify for centrelink assistance as independent students.

The letter goes on, but it ends with the point that:

It is the Australian Government's responsibility to ensure that access to tertiary studies is equitable for all students and their families, no matter where they reside.

I wanted to quote from that letter, because many times in this place I have been accused of politicking on this issue, sometimes by the Prime Minister herself when she was the education minister, and that has disappointed me, because members of the Nationals, and regional members in particular right across Australia, have been absolutely fair dinkum on this issue. We have stood up in this place on many occasions and made the point in relation to the lack of support for students from regional communities trying to achieve their absolute best by going to university.

I stand here tonight and demand from this government and from any future coalition government—and that may be the case after September this year—to find a better way and a fairer way to care for the needs and interests of regional students. There is a better way, and that is to provide a tertiary access allowance for all students who are required to relocate to attend a tertiary institution.

If we are not prepared as a nation to build universities in every regional setting—and I am not proposing that we should—then we have to help to provide access for all regional students.

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