Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

In response, very briefly, it defies logic that the government and the opposition's approach is to say, 'We don't want the government to have a regulatory power to deal with these issues.' That is, in effect, what they are saying. What the minister said—and I know that this is the position of the minister having responsibility for this—is that they have strengthened the regulations in terms of non-course costs so that you cannot get prepaid homestay fees in advance or whatever. Fair enough. But that is not the issue. In many cases, students have all sorts of other fees and expenses they incur. If they were capped, it would give a lot of confidence to those parents overseas who are sending their children here. Just refunding tuition fees is not enough.

I do not think we have done enough to look after the overseas student sector in this country. We need to encourage it. We need to encourage it in every way possible. It has been declining. This is a major contributor to our economy and this is where the future is for Australia as a nation in the provision of quality education services. My prediction is that this issue will not go away and that the government will inevitably have to revisit this. My prediction, for what it is worth, is that in years to come the government will need to revisit this and give itself the power to provide reassurance to overseas students with additional levels of compensation in the rare cases when a college or school collapses.

Question negatived.

Bills agreed to.

Bills reported without amendments or requests; report adopted.