Ben Small (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to give voice to those regional apprentices across Western Australia who are being unfairly burdened by recent cuts to the transport and accommodation allowance. As of 1 July this year, the accommodation support payment has been slashed from $100 to just $70 per night and travel reimbursement halved from 40c to just 20c per kilometre. These changes are not only disappointing but unjust and out of touch with the realities faced by regional apprentices and, indeed, their families.

Take this recent example provided to my office from a local concerned mum whose son, a third-year apprentice, is earning about $600 a week. He's been required to travel to Rockingham for block release training three times a year, spending roughly six weeks away from home. Each two-week block costs him in excess of $2,000 in accommodation alone. Once you add food and travel, the financial strain becomes, quite simply, overwhelming. These cuts mean that apprentices are now expected to shoulder even more of their training costs on wages that barely cover the basics. This is not just a financial issue; it's a fairness issue. Regional apprentices already face barriers to accessing training, and reducing this support only deepens the divide between metropolitan and regional opportunities and risks pushing young people out of the trades altogether.

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