Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Well, we will not dispose of it before question time and we can have an extensive debate if you like.

I conclude with the following. I say to the students of places like Shepparton, places where the opposition went and campaigned, understand this: the proposition agreed to by the opposition does not change youth allowance arrangements for you. The amendments being moved by the opposition today that apply to places like Shepparton are amendments that they up-front said to the government today that they would not insist on—that is, they are a pure piece of political theatre. And the opposition are not saying to those students in places like Shepparton that if they are elected as the government they will provide youth allowance under the old independence criteria to those students. They are providing them with a review.

Argy-bargy between politicians is one thing, but this is cruel expectation-raising around the country, only to then abandon those students, to move theatrical amendments they know that they are not going to insist on, to abandon them now and to abandon them as a matter of substance, because the opposition will not go to the next election promising those students extra money. This has been a cruel exercise in delay and ultimately it is a cruel exercise in substance from the opposition because they have raised the expectation of those students and their families. The opposition will do nothing today and, if they are ever elected as government, they will do nothing then to actually assist those students. I am not sure that the National Party leader actually understands this, but that is precisely what his shadow minister has agreed to. With those words I say: let us get this done and get some money into the hands of students, which is where it always should have been and could have been at the end of last year had the opposition taken a more responsible approach.

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