What the Tasmanian Liberals will do:

Abolish Labor’s inequitable school bus fare regime and removing an impediment to sending children to school by making bus travel to and from school free of charge for primary, secondary and college age students.

The State Government’s recent review of school bus fares will result in thousands of families being charged an extra $400 on average per child per year before they even get their children through the school gate.

This review has cemented the inequity in this State between country children who travel to school for free and city children who must pay.

It has hit the hip pocket of Tasmanian families at a time when household budgets are under extreme pressure, and there are fears that these new fares may stop some parents from sending their children to school.

This is simply not acceptable.

The Tasmanian Liberals view is that we must make school more accessible and less expensive for all parents whether they choose to send their children to a public school or a non-government one regardless of where they live.

Rather than continually tinkering with Labor’s inequitable school bus fare regime, it should be abolished.

Under a Hodgman Liberal Government, all Tasmanian primary, secondary and college age students will be able to catch a bus to and from school free of charge.

This initiative will be good for parents, good for the environment and will ensure that Tasmanian children have one less impediment to stop them attending school.

This will also remove current barriers for many 18 year olds who are currently undertaking their Year 11 and 12 studies in Colleges, the Tasmanian Academy and the Tasmanian Polytechnics.

It is fair and it is equitable and sends the very clear message that as a Government we place real value on children attending school, and real value on increasing the use of public transport to assist our climate change challenge and acknowledge the impact of petrol prices on family budgets.