David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

The Senate committee inquiry into the government's Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment (Quality and Integrity) Bill 2024, or ESOS, has heard overwhelming evidence of a bill that has been rushed, poorly drafted, poorly consulted on and which presents serious risks to the higher education sector, including the already record low research funding levels, as well as the economy more broadly. That's not to say that the government's objectives are wrong. The integrity measures are welcome and much needed. There is a genuine issue in some courses in some organisations with an over enrolment of international students leading to poor student outcomes. No-one can deny that housing affordability is one of the biggest issues we face. A strategy for immigration—how big Australia gets—is needed. I believe that is something Australians want, but this bill, as drafted, doesn't deal with those issues.

There are a range of sensible amendments that could make this legislation more workable, but there must be a delay in implementation. It is getting so close to the start of the next university year. We simply cannot risk the reputational damage from rescinding offers that are already out there—that students are planning for next year. We can't risk the hit to the economy from slowing too quickly our biggest non-mining export industry. I cannot see how government and higher education providers can possibly be in a position to implement this in a matter of months. We need to delay the start date, put a safety net and a buffer around the caps, provide a process to challenge individual caps and sunset the extraordinary powers that this bill gives the minister.

I urge the government and the coalition to work in good faith with the sector to get a good outcome for such an important part of our economy and the staff and students at its heart.