Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Firstly, let me acknowledge the contribution of the member for Kooyong, and before him, on our side of the House, the member for Capricornia and the member for Reid. I thought the member for Capricornia’s speech was very important in outlining some of the major issues and flaws that have existed in the treatment of overseas students in this country—and perhaps, in some instances, in their behaviour—and the way Australian providers, whether tertiary institutions or others, have gone about their business.

The amendments go to the heart of a great debate in this country about higher education and about the need for the university sector to look offshore for overseas students to make up revenue which should otherwise, perhaps, have come from other sources—to wit, the government. It is clear that because of cuts made in the higher education sector, and the lack of investment in the sector as a result of those cuts, many in the higher education sector rely on revenue from international student fees when they might otherwise not. The second part of the amendment asks us to look at the lack of action taken in response to recent examples of questionable activity in the overseas student area of the university and vocational education and training sectors.

Madam Deputy Speaker, this bill is important in a number of aspects but particularly for what it does for the Indian Ocean territories of Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. It is about that that I want to speak in large part today. But I do want to pick up on what the member for Kooyong said about the importance of the new section 4A that sets out the principal objects of the ESOS Act:

(a) to provide financial and tuition assurance to overseas students for courses for which they have paid; and

(b) to protect and enhance Australia’s reputation for quality education and training services; and

(c) to complement Australia’s migration laws by ensuring providers collect and report information relevant to the administration of the law relating to student visas.

When did you come to the chair, Mr Deputy Speaker Kerr, because I have been calling you Madam Deputy Speaker for a couple of moments? I note that you are not her!

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