Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Hansard source

I will not delay the House long on this matter. I simply make the point that the government, having fought, including students in inner regional areas, gaining access to the independent youth allowance for about 2½ years and having voted against it many times in this place with the support of some of the crossbenchers and in spite of some of the motions and amendments moved by the opposition, have backflipped on their previous opposition to including students in inner regional areas in the criteria for the independent youth allowance. I note that in order to do so they have dudded postgraduate students, ruining some students' lives while assisting others. But, because the opposition supports this bill and recognises that it is a complete backflip by the minister and the government to a bad decision that was made by the current Prime Minister some years ago, I will not delay the House any longer.

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