STUDENTS URGED TO HAVE THEIR SAY

ON YOUTH ALLOWANCE

Bob Baldwin, Member for Paterson has urged local students to have their say on Youth Allowance during the senate inquiry currently underway.

“A number of local students living in ‘inner regional’ areas within the Paterson electorate are missing out on Independent Youth Allowance because of Labor’s changes to the eligibility criteria,” said Mr Baldwin.

“Now is the time for students to speak up, to tell the Gillard Labor Government that they need better support to access university,” said Mr Baldwin.

Mr Baldwin said that Labor, the Greens and Independent senator, Nick Xenophon had opted for the inquiry into Independent Youth Allowance, rather than supporting a bill put forward by the Coalition, which would have already fixed the problem by now.

Students, their families and other concerned residents have until 6 December to make a submission to the inquiry. Submissions can be emailed to eewr.sen@aph.gov.au or posted to:

The Committee Secretary of the Senate Standing Committee on

Education, Employment and Workplace Relations

PO Box 6100

Parliament House

ACT 2600

Details on the inquiry and how to make a submission can be found at: http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/eet_ctte/socialsecurity/index.htm and the report will be released on 9 February 2011.

“Affording tertiary education is a real issue for students and families across the Hunter region however everyone should be able to get the education they desire,” said Mr Baldwin.

“A senate inquiry recently found just 33 per cent of regional students go on to tertiary education compared with 55 per cent of metropolitan students.

“It is hard to comprehend why the Labor government would deny vital assistance to regional students when it wastes billions of dollars elsewhere, and I will continue to work hard to ensure it sees sense of this issue.”