Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health) Share this | Hansard source

We can have members from the government benches whine all they like. They have to face the reality that they cut these programs. They cut these programs that were helping thousands and thousands of young people. Indeed, if we look at the Youth Connections program, it was incredibly successful, with over 80 per cent of young people still in work or education after two years. Nineteen per cent of young people who accessed the service were Indigenous students, 70 per cent of young people who benefited were in regional and remote areas and 40 per cent of young people who benefited were from the lowest socioeconomically disadvantaged groups and this assistance was making a difference. In government, Labor also delivered the partnership brokers program. This was designed to partner schools with the wider community, including business and charities, in actively supporting young people finishing year 12 or equivalent. There was also the national careers development service, which did a number of things and included the very successful jobs guide that I and many people for decades have been relying on to give advice about which courses to do to achieve career aspirations.

Of course, we had the Prime Minister travel to the US and talk about his admiration for a program that helps boost links with schools and businesses. Little did he understand that indeed he was cutting the program that was successfully achieving that in Australia. With Senator Polley I recently visited the National Joblink in Launceston, a Youth Connections provider which will likely be forced to close its doors at the end of the year because of the Prime Minister's cuts. Quite frankly, when speaking to Lisa, the Youth Connections coordinator in Launceston, she simply could not understand why the government would do this.

We get excuses from the government. They have offered measly support now; they have announced measly support for 3,000 students and young people in small pockets of the country. That cannot replace the significant investment to assist 75,000 people. The government need to reconsider this decision. They need to refund Youth Connections, the national partnership and the career service; otherwise young people will be significantly disadvantaged.

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