Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

He is a good man. He is sitting right behind me and he is making great moves in policy areas which are so important to Australian education. The education minister is building new architecture for international education so that the industry can grow and achieve its potential. Another good person is my wife, Catherine, who said to me only last week that education is so important. As she said, you can lose your job, you can lose your house and you can lose your health, but you cannot lose your education. Like most things my wife says, she was right.

The Education Services for Overseas Student Amendment Bill 2013 also amends the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 to clarify refund provisions for overseas students studying in Australia, as well as for students from overseas who intend to study in Australia and are yet to arrive. The system at the moment is very technical. This bill is about providing clarity to international students in Australia. Overseas students make a very important, valuable and ongoing contribution to the Australian education system. The Abbott-Truss government acknowledges this and, as such, we are seeking to expand upon the integral input made by overseas students to our nation and to make it easier for international students to access the Australian education system. I commend the bill to the House.

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