Interview - ABC North Queensland
MICHAEL CLARKE [HOST]: Maybe you're getting ready for another big day of study. Hello to our students across North Queensland. It is gearing up towards the end of the year, so that's often an incredibly busy time. Or maybe you're thinking about studying next year. Good luck with all of those plans for maybe a change in life. We know that every year there's lots of students from across the seas that want to come to us here in North Queensland, to our universities and do their study. But will they be able to in the years to come? You might have heard in the news this week the Federal Government's plan to restrict the number of international students able to enrol from the start of next year appears doomed. With the Coalition and the Greens set to vote against the bill.
Labor hope to bring temporary migration numbers back to pre-pandemic levels and crack down on dodgy education providers by limiting the number of international students able to start study in Australia to 270,000 next year. And a lot of university spokespeople were expressing some concerns about that or looking cautiously at what that would mean. But will that now be the case? Joining us today is Senator for Queensland Anthony Chisholm, who's the Assistant Minister for Education and Regional Development and is with us this morning. Senator, thank you for your time.
ANTHONY CHISHOLM [ASSISTANT MINISTER]: Thanks, Michael. Good to be with you.
CLARKE: Does it look like this bill is now doomed?
CHISHOLM: Well, obviously the clock ticking on Parliament for the year. We've only got five sitting days left starting today to pass this legislation. There's been a thorough process that's gone on with this Bill to bring international student numbers down and bring them back to a pre-pandemic level, which we think is appropriate. We went through a thorough process with the Bill. The Department did a lot of consultation, the Senate did an inquiry, and then we find out on Monday that the Opposition are going to oppose it; despite saying they want to bring down student numbers as well. So, we can't understand what process they've gone through and what motivated them to do this, given the considered process we've gone through in consultation with the university sector. So, it's really disappointing. And it leaves universities like James Cook, that's such an important part of North Queensland, in the lurch because they would have been a big beneficiary from these changes.
CLARKE: You say it's been well developed and a good plan, and the Coalition saying it was chaotic and confused. I mean, have you given enough thought to what the impacts this Bill would have for regional centres?
CHISHOLM: Well, we've gone through a process that's taken months and months of consultation, of drafting a Senate inquiry that the Coalition played an active part on. They showed no indication that they were going to oppose the Bill until Monday. So, we can't figure out, they say they want to bring down numbers. This leaves that claim that they've made in tatters because they've got no creditable way of actually doing that. We had a measured process, one that we'd work through with the sector as well. And for the Coalition to recklessly say they're going to oppose it, particularly when we knew that this is limited sitting days before the end of the year leaves the sector in the lurch and particularly regional universities in the lurch.
CLARKE: What's wrong with allowing more international students into our universities? They pay money and they can be very important not just for the health of the universities themselves, but also for regional economies, can't they?
CHISHOLM: They are. And that's why we wanted to ensure that we return integrity to the system. And you mentioned that at the start about the number of inquiries that had gone on into the rorts that had been exposed about those people who do prey on vulnerable students who come in from overseas and try and use them to make money. We want to get rid of that. We want to return integrity to the system so that those students who do come and study have a good experience and then if they do go home, they become ambassadors for the regions that they've been in.
So, James Cook Uni, under the changes that we were proposing, would have actually been able to enrol more international students next year. So, they would have been one of the universities that would have benefited from the managed scheme that we were going to bring in. And I understand that those students do play an important role financially for the uni, but also to the vibrancy and working in cafes and restaurants and bars and other roles in Townsville and surrounding areas as well. So, this is a real hammer blow to the university, but also to the local economy. And the Coalition should actually explain why they've opposed it. I haven't heard a coherent reason as to why they're willing to do damage to a regional town like Townsville.
CLARKE: But Senator, this comes at a time when James Cook University is actually cutting staff numbers and some of the concerns are because they're unsure what the future is going to mean when it comes to caps or reductions in international students.
CHISHOLM: But that's why we wanted to. We've been through the process with this Bill. That's why it was important that it's passed to give regional universities and universities across the country the confidence that this system would be in place for next year. The Coalition have now blown that up and they're the ones that have to answer why they did it. And as I said before, we haven't heard a coherent explanation as to why they're willing to continue to do damage to the higher education sector.
CLARKE: Have you explained this well enough to those in the university sector, though, particularly regional centres? Because it still seems as if there is some concern about what these changes would mean for regional universities.
CHISHOLM: The engagement has been really strong with the sector. I've seen a number of Vice Chancellors who've been in Canberra as part of consultation with the Departments. Myself and Minister Clare are meeting with Vice Chancellors from the university sector regularly. So, I'm confident that they understand. I think the uncertainty was in the fact that this legislation hadn't passed. We were obviously determined to do that. We had the timetable to do it. It's the Coalition, the ones who've turned their nose up and said no and left those universities in the lurch.
CLARKE: So, what happens now in the last days that we've got of sitting for this year? Is there a great deal of knocking on doors? Is there talking to Coalition members or the Greens? What do you do?
CHISHOLM: Well, I'd certainly say for the people in Townsville that are concerned about this to put pressure on their local Liberal and National MPs to pass this legislation, there's still time to do it. We hear that there are a number of them who are concerned that this legislation hasn't passed and what it means for the sector. We still have time to do this, and they need to ensure that they back in this legislation which actually delivers on what is needed in the sector, gives them the certainty they need to operate from next year and returns integrity to those students who are coming and ensuring they have a good experience.
CLARKE: We'll follow those developments happening in Canberra as the final sitting days continue. Senator Anthony Chisholm, thanks for being with us.
CHISHOLM: Thanks for the opportunity, Michael.
CLARKE: Senator for Queensland there, Anthony Chisholm, who's the Assistant Minister for Education and Regional Development and also Agriculture, joining us this morning, talking about that issue of university places for international students.