Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move Australian Greens amendment (1) on sheet 6010:

(1)    Schedule 1, page 4 (after line 14), after item 1, insert:

1A  Paragraph 1067A(10)(a)

Omit “at least 30 hours per week”, substitute “on average 30 hours per week”.

This amendment is quite important. It relates to a number of the issues that were raised by students throughout the review process and the inquiry into this legislation. With the only workplace participation criterion retained being the 30 hours a week over an 18-month period, this means that young people would be required to defer their university studies for two years and secure almost full-time work—at least 30 hours a week—in order to fulfil the eligibility and then, at the end of that, get youth allowance.

We are very concerned that, for many students in rural and regional areas in particular, it is very difficult, as unskilled workers, to find a job with any type of permanent status, let alone 30 hours a week. What we have proposed—and it was something that came out quite strongly through the inquiry—is that, instead of saying ‘at least’ 30 hours per week, we say ‘an average of’ because we know that in these regional areas work is more seasonally based. Students can work more during their holidays and it might be a bit easier for them to secure a job that averages 30 hours over that period of time as opposed to ‘at least’. I think it is something that simply addresses the major concerns of those young people and their families who have been scrutinising this legislation since day one.