Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Brown for her question. The government’s reforms will make support available to many more students. They will ensure that money goes to those in greatest need. Together with the Greens and Senator Xenophon, we stand by those reforms. Without these reforms more than 150,000 students across Australia will not receive the $2,254 start-up scholarships in 2010, and 21,000 existing Commonwealth scholarships voted out of existence earlier this year will not be paid, meaning that there are no scholarships being paid by the Commonwealth in 2010.

More than 100,000 students across Australia will get less youth allowance or no youth allowance in 2010. Students who move from home to study and who would be eligible for a $4,000 relocation scholarship in 2010 will not be able to receive that if these measures are not supported by this chamber. Students from families on $300,000 a year will continue to get youth allowance and some 25,000 students from families earning less than $44,165 will miss out on increased support.