Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) recognises that income support for students:

  (i) is an important part of Australia's safety net, and

  (ii) helps to make educational opportunities more accessible for young people, including from regional and remote communities;

(b) notes reports:

  (i) of a current backlog of 27,500 students with claims waiting to be processed, and earlier peaks of 90,000 students waiting for claims to be processed, and

  (ii) suggesting that up to 30,000 applicants may have been rejected incorrectly; and

(c) calls on the Government to take urgent action by:

  (i) reviewing rejected applications,

  (ii) restoring adequate funding to the Department of Human Services, including funding for ongoing staffing increases, and

  (iii) investing in high-quality information technology systems.