Matt O'Sullivan (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Family and Social Services. Could the minister please advise how the government is on the side of families in rural and remote areas of Australia wanting access to education?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to thank Senator O'Sullivan for his question and for his obvious and significant interest in rural and remote communities in Australia. The Morrison government understands the importance of education and the ability for children all over Australia to have access to the resources that they need for their education. I'm delighted to be able to announce that the Morrison government will introduce a bill today to boost support to more than 2,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families with children who need to live away from home to access secondary education. Through these changes, the delivery of an additional $36.4 million in support over the next four years—which means approximately $5,900 per year for these students and the costs associated with them going to boarding school—will be extended to these families.

The bill will extend the family tax benefit part B to eligible secondary students aged 16 who receive ABSTUDY assistance to study away from home. This is a very significant investment, one of which this government is very proud. Amendments introduced by this bill will also build on the measure of 50 years of ABSTUDY. This includes better, fairer and more flexible travel provisions and the portability of ABSTUDY benefits if students change schools. Many remote Indigenous communities have no secondary school, so boarding school is often the only opportunity that they have if their students wish to complete their high school. The financial cost of going to boarding school can be extremely high, and this provides a disincentive for families to continue to send their children to school. It is particularly a disincentive to attaining year 12 qualifications. This is putting at risk the performance of students and their completion of year 12. We know that children who complete year 12 are in a much better position to transition to work in adulthood and be contributing members of their society. Ensuring that FTB is extended to cover any costs associated with boarding relieves financial pressures.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator O'Sullivan, a supplementary question.

Matt O'Sullivan (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How is the government taking practical steps to close the gap in educational attainment?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are doing everything we can to achieve the Closing the Gap targets, including halving the gap in attainment of year 12 or equivalent qualifications between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and non-Indigenous Australians by 2020. This bill helps achieve exactly that. It increases the support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families with children who need to live away from home to attend senior secondary school. The priority investment approach modelling of my department suggests that an increase in support for younger Indigenous Australians to complete year 12 will lead to long-term benefits for everyone. Those children who achieve year 12 are more likely to be in work and less likely to rely on welfare. On average, within five years of leaving school, Indigenous young people who study year 11 as boarding students are projected to have income support costs that are 38 per cent lower than those of their peers who leave school earlier. This modelling shows that these students do better in the longer term as well.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator O'Sullivan, a final supplementary question.

Matt O'Sullivan (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Could the minister please advise if she is aware of any alternative approaches?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On this side of the chamber, we absolutely are committed to ensuring that the very best interests of all Australians are delivered by our promises. We can be trusted to make sure that we deliver on Indigenous disadvantage, which this bill is evidence of. We're also very committed to ensuring that the next phase of Closing the Gap is developed as a genuine partnership between all governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people. We're committed to finalising the Closing the Gap framework and its targets through this partnership. This partnership agreement recognises that, in order to effect real change, governments must work collaboratively and in genuine, formal relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples, as they are the essential agents of change. On 12 December last year, COAG agreed to form a genuine, formal partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to finalise Closing the Gap refreshment.