Wednesday 14th September 2016
The Leader of The Nationals and Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh has highlighted in State Parliament today a blatant discrimination by the Andrews Labor Government against very stressed dairy farming families.
Mr Walsh said the impact of the milk pricing crash is profound and many dairy farming families are really struggling to keep going.
“The Andrews Labor Government announced the Dairy Assistance Camps Sports and Excursions Fund which provides $375 per student currently enrolled in government and non-government schools ” he said.
The northern border of the Murray Plains electorate is the NSW border and in some cases students attending their nearest appropriate non-government school must cross the border into NSW. This arrangement is supported by Public Transport Victoria and recognized in the School Bus Program Eligibility Guide for Families.
“I am advised that children of dairy farmers who live in Victoria but cross into NSW for their education are being denied access to the funding” Mr Walsh said.
“Dairy farming families should not be discriminated against because the rural setting in which they live requires them to travel across the border into NSW to be educated at their nearest school of denomination.
“I call on Daniel Andrews to immediately intervene and make sure that the children of all Victorian dairy farmers have access to the Dairy Assistance Camps Sports and Excursions Fund ” Mr Walsh said.