CAPA would like to thank and congratulate the Member for Dawson, George Christensen MP, for his principled stand in protection of penalty rates.
“Students across the country rely on penalty rates to make ends meet,” said CAPA President Peter Derbyshire. “Among postgraduate students, many of whom do not qualify for Austudy due to their courses not being considered eligible by Centrelink, the difference penalty rates make to a student’s ability to get by financially is even more pronounced. We applaud George Christensen for his courage in crossing the floor to protect students who both need and deserve these penalty rates.”
CAPA reiterates its support for penalty rates and the students earning them, and calls on the Senate cross-benchers to defend them. We hope that Mr Christensen will continue standing up for students and call on him and his colleagues to oppose the dangerous cuts to higher education when they are voted on in the upcoming weeks.
