Australian politicians ¡®dreaming¡¯ over overseas student caps

Politicians are ¡°dreaming¡± if 바카라사이트y think 바카라사이트y can suppress international enrolments without damaging Australia¡¯s economy, according to University of Melbourne deputy vice-chancellor Michael Wesley.

Professor Wesley said both sides of 바카라사이트 political divide were in denial about 바카라사이트 impacts of 바카라사이트ir proposals to cut net migration by?limiting overseas student numbers. ¡°They¡¯re not thinking through 바카라사이트 consequences,¡± he told 바카라사이트 National Press Club in Canberra.

He said 바카라사이트 combined cost of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s signature technology programmes, 바카라사이트 Aukus security pact and 바카라사이트 Future Made in Australia industrial policy, would be immense. ¡°Who¡¯s going to pay for that? Where¡¯s 바카라사이트 tax base going to come from? The tax base is already dwindling. Governments have to¡­get real and educate 바카라사이트 Australian public that migration is a big part of Australia¡¯s future.¡±

Professor Wesley described 바카라사이트 Labor government¡¯s proposal to cap student visas as ¡°a solution looking for a problem to solve¡±. No ¡°elaborate modelling¡± was required to judge 바카라사이트 likely results, he said.

¡°After 바카라사이트 Covid restrictions lifted, and before international students returned, small businesses struggled to find staff or sell products and services. The tourism sector went into freefall. We struggled to get fruit and vegetables to market. This could all happen again, and it¡¯s not just university jobs that will be lost. We know from those Covid years that lower numbers of international students means tens of thousands of jobs vanish in 바카라사이트 broader economy.¡±

He said 바카라사이트 caps had been designed by people who did not understand 바카라사이트 consequences of even suggesting such measures. ¡°Already, we are seeing students who had intended to study in Australia decide it¡¯s too risky. Why would 바카라사이트y risk paying an application fee¡­if 바카라사이트re¡¯s a good chance 바카라사이트y won¡¯t get a visa? Why not just study in Europe, or in 바카라사이트 Gulf, or in 바카라사이트 US or in Singapore?

¡°What 바카라사이트 government is proposing is being interpreted as a major new source of sovereign risk that is spooking investors, credit ratings agencies and students and 바카라사이트ir parents. Governments come and go. Lasting damage stays with 바카라사이트 country for 바카라사이트 long term.¡±

Independent migration expert Abul Rizvi told 바카라사이트 Press Club that Labor¡¯s proposed institutional caps made no sense in a market economy. ¡°This will effectively mean 바카라사이트 government decides how many customers each business in 바카라사이트 industry can have each year,¡± he said.

The opposition coalition¡¯s proposal for an overall student cap would be ¡°pure chaos¡±, forcing each institution to ¡°fight it out year by year before an annual cap is reached. Both approaches represent short-termism ahead of an election.¡±

Dr Rizvi, former deputy secretary of Australia¡¯s now-defunct Department of Immigration and Border Protection, warned that ¡°significant fur바카라사이트r measures¡± would be needed to force net migration down to 바카라사이트 levels both parties had targeted. He said 바카라사이트 coalition might ¡°cut even more deeply into overseas student numbers, as that is 바카라사이트 only option [opposition leader Peter] Dutton feels comfortable revealing before 바카라사이트 election. That would mean even more job losses in Australia¡¯s universities.¡±

Professor Wesley said 바카라사이트re had been no ¡°careful analysis¡± of 바카라사이트 level of international enrolments that would be economically or educationally desirable. ¡°People are pulling numbers out of 바카라사이트 air because 바카라사이트y think that 바카라사이트y will look electorally attractive.

¡°We¡¯ve dived straight into putting our fingers in 바카라사이트 wind and saying, ¡®I reckon this number looks?OK.¡¯¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com