Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have risen in this place on numerous occasions to talk about the coalition government's New Colombo Plan. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop, while Minister for Education, Science and Training during the Howard government, observed the many students from our region coming to Australia to learn and gain qualifications, yet very few Australian students were studying at universities in the Asia-Pacific region. The Labor government in 2007 then ignored all the reports and plans done by the Howard government and Minister Bishop, and we have had to wait until now that the coalition is in government for Minister Bishop to have the opportunity to implement a significant program that provides an opportunity for young Australians to live and study in our region.

The students in the first tranche will be studying in Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, or Japan. I particularly congratulate those undergraduates from the University of Queensland, in my electorate. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting Hirotsugu Takahashi and Emily Chen, who will be joined by Katrina Couzens and Kristie Higginson. The University of Queensland has been a long-term, strong supporter of a better education relationship with our Asia-Pacific neighbours, and I believe that the University of Queensland students will be proud ambassadors for Australia in the Indian Ocean and Asia-Pacific region.