Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Higher Education and Skills) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to address some of the issues that have been raised. The contribution to the debate at the end diverged somewhat from the bill. I understand that the shadow Treasurer cannot help himself getting up and talking the economy down again when somebody praises the state of the economy, and I was happy for two minutes of the debate to be devoted to allowing the shadow Treasurer to do so.

I served with the member for Lyne on the education committee of this House, and I appreciate that he shares with me an understanding of and commitment to the capacity of education to transform not only individual lives but also the regions of this country and the opportunities to be found within them. Like me, the member for Lyne comes from a region where there is concern about youth unemployment, and he shares with me an understanding that the ability of young people to access higher education—TAFEs, VET and university—makes a significant difference in their lives. So I understand where the member for Lyne was coming from with his contribution.

However, I make the point to him that the student start-up scholarship which is being addressed in the amendments to this bill was introduced in April 2010 as a new payment. It was introduced for the very reasons that the member outlined—that is, to provide some upfront assistance with the costs of things such as textbooks and equipment, the money to pay for which at the start of the university year is a concern for students when they come out of the Christmas holidays and see the list and how much everything is going to cost.

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