Victorian Senator elect Bridget McKenzie with Bill Sykes MP and Victorian President of the Young Nationals Ruby Cameron signing the Youth Allowance petition

Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes has welcomed yesterday’s agreement by the Federal Gillard Government to bring forward its review of the Youth Allowance. It will now be completed by July 2011.
According to The Age, The Federal Gillard Government promised that ‘any new arrangement would eliminate the distinction between ‘inner-regional’ and ‘outer-regional’ students who currently face different eligibility criteria to qualify for the benefit’.
“Local examples of this illogical distinction include Mansfield, Eildon, Mt Beauty and Bright students being classified ‘outer-regional’ whereas Myrtleford, Wangaratta, Alexandra and Benalla, Euroa and Nagambie students being classified as ‘inner-regional’.”
Dr Sykes said, “This back-flip by Julia Gillard, who introduced the unfair new Youth Allowance rules, is a direct result of a persistent campaign by Nationals Federal Senator Fiona Nash and her Coalition colleagues.
“Most recently Senator Nash introduced a Private Members Bill into the Senate which passed it.
“The Gillard Government then managed to gain the support of the Independents to prevent the Bill being debated in the House of Representatives.
“In return the Gillard Government agreed to fast track the review and promise a more equitable outcome.
“Whilst I welcome the review being brought forward the Federal Government’s poor track record on delivering on its promises is a concern.
“There needs to be certainty and equity for all of our students including those who started university this week.
“The Nationals will keep the pressure on the Gillard Government.
“This week Ruby Cameron, President of the Victorian Young Nationals and Bridget McKenzie, Victorian Senator elect are visiting university campuses throughout Victoria asking students to sign a petition calling on Julia Gillard to act now to address the inequity for country students.”

Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes has called on the Brumby State Government to support a call by the Federal Liberal-Nationals Coalition for a review of the Youth Allowance criteria.
“If the review goes ahead in the Federal Parliament’s Lower House, students in areas classed as ‘inner regional’ could be eligible for Youth Allowance if they work during a gap year.
“This means that students living in ‘inner regional’ areas such as Violet Town, Euroa, Nagambie, Benalla, Myrtleford and Alexandra who currently have to work for up to two years and earn $35,000 to qualify for independent Youth Allowance could qualify by working for up to 18 months and earning $19,500.
“Students in rural and regional areas are being disadvantaged by the current criteria. The average rate of deferral to university is 33 per cent for students living in country areas compared with metropolitan students at 10 per cent.”
Dr Sykes said, “A recent report by a State Parliamentary Committee, Inquiry into Higher Education, found that economic barriers are the main reason why fewer regional students attend university compared with their city counterparts.”
Dr Sykes said the Federal Liberal-Nationals Coalition was challenging the new Parliament to make the Youth Allowance fairer and more equitable for all regional students.
“The changes made by the Labor Party discriminate against rural and regional students and effectively make it more difficult for many students to achieve independent status and receive the maximum amount of government support.
“My office has dealt with hundreds of enquiries from parents concerned that their children will struggle to qualify for independent Youth Allowance under the existing guidelines and face uncertainty about whether they will be able to afford to leave home in order to undertake further study.”
Dr Sykes concluded, “There is absolutely no doubt this tired and out of touch Brumby Government has supported the botched job Federal Labor has made of the Youth Allowance. It is now time to review the unfair criteria to allow more of our young students to pursue a tertiary education.”

The Nationals in Government will amend the controversial Youth Allowance legislation to allow all students in north-east Victoria to achieve the independent rate under relaxed workforce participation rules.
The Nationals Victorian Senate Candidate Bridget McKenzie said a Federal Coalition Government would introduce interim measures where all north-east Victorian students would have the same rules applied in terms of workforce participation requirements for achieving the independent rate of Youth Allowance until a fair tertiary access scheme could be developed.
“Under The Nationals’ policy, we will introduce interim measures so that young people will be able to qualify for independence if they undertake a gap year and achieve the relaxed work test of approximately $19,500 over an 18 month period,” Ms McKenzie said.
From the beginning of academic year 2011, these young people will be able to qualify for independence, where:
• their family home is in a location categorised under the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (AGSC) as Inner Regional Australia, Outer Regional Australia, Remote Australia or Very Remote Australia; and
• their parents’ income is less than $150 000 per annum.
“This will provide regional students with the means to pursue tertiary studies while we consult with students, teachers and parents about the best way to support regional students,” Ms McKenzie said.
The Nationals State Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes has hailed the policy announcement as a ‘breakthrough for common sense’.
“This is great news for students in our region,” Dr Sykes said.
“Over the past year I have been inundated by calls and have tabled hundreds of signatures in State Parliament protesting against the ridiculous system imposed by the Rudd-Gillard Government,” Dr Sykes said.
Ms McKenzie said as Education Minister, Julia Gillard introduced a scheme which meant many regional students had to work for 30 hours per week over two years to achieve the independent rate of Youth Allowance.
“The Gillard system is fundamentally flawed because students who live in towns like Benalla, Euroa, Violet Town and Myrtleford are treated differently to students in towns like Mansfield, Bright and Mt Beauty,” Ms McKenzie said.
“Under Labor’s scheme, we have students in the same classroom forced to comply with different schemes because of lines on a map that divided parts of north-east Victoria into ‘inner’ regional and ‘outer’ regional.
Ms McKenzie said she looked forward to working with students and their families to overhaul the system of student income support.
“I can’t wait to get out there and talk with communities about the best way to assist regional students overcome the very real barriers to higher education.”