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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 04 Hansard (Wednesday, 31 March 2004) . . Page.. 1388 ..

to note that because we talk about flexibility in learning and flexibility in the delivery of learning, we need also to find flexible ways in which people can pay for their education and be proud of what they have established at the end of it.

Students can earn over $5,000 at any time of the year without being penalised. Students can also obtain a student loan at very reasonable rates to help them through their studies. University students can also pursue postgraduate study through deferring course costs with the new PEL system. Sadly, at this time—we do have a federal election upon us, but the date is yet to be announced, and there are also local elections going on round Australia—none of that is ALP policy.

Ms MacDonald’s motion speaks of recognising the high level of vocational and higher education student debt in the ACT and throughout Australia. As I have said, somehow it puts the onus back on the federal government to be doing more. I would be the first to say that we always need to be reviewing the education system. It is most important that we never put any blocks in the way of people learning. But the states and territories have to accept their responsibility. That also came out in a sensible debate last night of which I was a part.

The motion also speaks of acknowledging that many ACT students are having difficulty meeting the costs of living. The harsh reality is that students are not the only ones having difficulties. I think that there is a growing difficulty out there for many people to meet obligations. Perhaps it is time that we in this place looked, for instance, at some of the things that we waste our money on and pushed it out into programs that would be of value to the majority of Canberrans, not to people in the minority. They are things that we need to look at seriously in this place; where are we best spending taxpayers’ money? If we have students having difficulty meeting the cost of living, we need to make sure that we help them appropriately in any way we can. If that means helping the majority, then we need to move that way.

The motion notes that many students are forced to work increasingly long hours to meet the cost of living. Mr Speaker, I did not go to university, but my brother did, and I remember him working extraordinarily long hours—inordinately long hours. I do not know what has changed there. Are we becoming a softer nation? I do not know; I am not sure. I have heard it said a lot that students work long hours, but I remember my brother’s experience. He is in his late 50s, so we are looking at many years ago and the situation seemed to be no different then. I do not know how we are actually viewing things here. That is for others to comment.

The motion says that the federal government’s youth allowance, Austudy and Abstudy payments are not high enough to meet the cost of living. I have already referred to that. I think that Ms MacDonald needs to look at the ALP’s record on that before she makes such a sweeping statement. She has called on the federal government to review the amount students are paid under youth allowance, Austudy and Abstudy. The coalition has a good record on that.

Acknowledging that people always want more money, we have to look at ways in which to better use our money. How are we resourcing things? What are we spending our money on? How are we helping students? Sometimes it comes down to the state and territory level and is not just a matter of carping on in a negative way about the current

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