Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The Social Security Amendment (Student Income Support Reforms) Bill 2011 will provide additional assistance for young people from regional Australia who need to leave home to study after secondary school.

The Australian government is committed to reforming higher education and, in particular, increasing students’ access to university.

Higher education is central to achieving the government’s vision of a stronger, fairer and more productive nation.

Following last year’s reforms to student income support, many more young people, particularly those from families with low income, are accessing youth allowance while they study at university.

The amendments included in this bill follow consideration of the recommendations of the independent Review of Student Income Support Reforms conducted by Professor Kwong Lee Dow AM.

Professor Lee Dow brought to the review his considerable experience in higher education, his expertise in regional education issues and sensitivity to the challenges faced by regional students and their families in accessing further study.

On behalf of the government I would like to thank Professor Lee Dow for his report, which presents a balanced consideration of the needs of young people from low socioeconomic families and those whose distance from major cities limits their range of opportunities for a university education.

The report of the Review of Student Income Support Reforms recognises that the policy settings put in place by this government in 2010 following the Bradley review into Australian higher education have been working.

The impact of the reforms has been measurable with more students qualifying for assistance, especially young people from low- to middle-income families.

The reforms have also had a positive impact on families from regional and remote areas of Australia with more young people who need to live away from home being able to access student income support.

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