Andrew Hastie (Canning, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Last week I was pleased to host the Minister for Social Services in Canning to announce the Career Readiness for Young Parents initiative. This is an exciting new program that has the potential to change the lives of young mums and dads in Mandurah. The initiative is a trial program that will provide 60 young parents with coaching and support to help them get back to work. It's part of the coalition government's $96.1 million Try, Test and Learn Fund.

Having a child is a joy, but it's also disruptive. For young parents, it can be especially difficult to get back into work. In fact, Centrelink data indicates that 79 per cent of people receiving parenting payments under the age of 19 will still be receiving income support in 10 years time, and 57 per cent will still be receiving support in 20 years time.

You never know the personal circumstances someone is facing. That's why we have a generous safety net for at-risk people in our community. But on this side of the House, we're also committed to helping people to find work and build their self-sufficiency. That way, in the long term, these young parents will be able to get a good job, stand on their own two feet and no longer need government assistance. This program is good news for Canning, and I thank the government for delivering a program that is going to change the lives of many young mums and dads in Mandurah.

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