Nicola Roxon (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to raise an issue today that is of great concern to schools and schoolchildren in my electorate. Everyone in this House knows how much school visits are enjoyed by students from our electorates when they come to see how the parliament works and what their national capital does. Unfortunately, more and more schools in my electorate are unable to come to Canberra as the costs of travel and staying overnight et cetera are increasing.

I want to put on the record my concern that the way the school subsidy works is a great disadvantage. Those of us from Melbourne with schoolchildren in our electorates who may not have sufficient personal funds to be able to visit, are excluded by the 1,000-kilometre rule, which means that students from further flung states, who should also be given assistance, are the only ones given that assistance. I would like to place on record my concern that it has been quite some time since the formula used for the granting of this assistance has been revisited. I believe that there should be some sort of socioeconomic measure put in place so that schools operating in areas where the students do not have very many means, even if they fall within the 1,000-kilometre exclusion zone, should be considered for some sort of assistance.

We have all seen the enthusiasm of schoolchildren when they suddenly see the parliament coming to life. They get very excited about the idea of being involved in our political system. We feel strongly about wanting to educate people about civics. One of the best ways of doing that is by letting them come to Canberra to experience all that the national capital has to offer. I think the Parliamentary Education Office do an extraordinarily good job. They have very well qualified staff who are able to inspire even the most disinterested of students. If they were given the opportunity to work their magic on more students that would be a good thing for the community.

I am concerned because I have four schools already—and I know there are more—both public and local Catholic schools, that have stopped coming to Canberra because the students simply cannot afford it. They are St Margaret Mary’s School of Spotswood, Eastona Primary School, Footscray North Primary School and St Monica’s Primary School. It concerns me greatly that these students, through no fault of their own, are missing out on a great experience, which often captures their imagination and gives them an interest in the future in politics and the way our country works. I urge the parliament to reconsider the formula that applies for providing assistance to school students so that mere distance is not the only factor that is taken into account and that disadvantaged students are also given the opportunity to receive some assistance to visit Canberra.