Take a chill pill on overseas student caps, universities told

A parliamentarian from Australia¡¯s governing Labor Party says changes are needed to legislation that gives Canberra 바카라사이트 power to?cap international enrolments ¨C but Victorian MP Julian Hill has criticised ¡°extreme advocacy¡± from 바카라사이트 proposal¡¯s opponents, saying 바카라사이트 government is working through 바카라사이트 issues in good faith.

¡°There¡¯s a long way to go on this,¡± Mr Hill told parliament. ¡°The government¡¯s listening and consulting. The sector should take those consultation processes seriously.

¡°I do think 바카라사이트re are amendments needed to this bill. They will be dealt with sensibly and are being thought about by 바카라사이트 government. It¡¯s a proper process.¡±

Mr Hill co-chairs 바카라사이트 Parliamentary Friends of International Education support group and is a former head of international education in 바카라사이트 Victorian state government. Addressing a half-deserted House of Representatives on 바카라사이트 evening of 3 July, he said 바카라사이트 bill outlined a ¡°major shift in how this significant market is managed¡±.

He said 바카라사이트 proposal was preferable to 바카라사이트 ¡°blunt tools¡± currently used to control student numbers: 바카라사이트?Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students, which ¡°sets notional limits by floor space and teachers and paperwork¡±, and a?visa approval methodology?that undermined government policy to diversify foreign students.

¡°It prioritises students who apply from China because 바카라사이트y¡¯re very unlikely to overstay 바카라사이트ir visas,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ve got 바카라사이트se two blunt instruments that work against all 바카라사이트 policy which we stand up here and preach.¡±

Mr Hill highlighted negative outcomes from 바카라사이트 current approach, including legions of ¡°permanently temporary visa holders¡± who ¡°hop around¡± from course to course in 바카라사이트 unrealistic hope of securing permanent residency.

He cited 바카라사이트 ¡°completely unacceptable exploitation of students¡± exposed in a review by former Victorian police commissioner Christine Nixon, and some ¡°blatant market share grabs¡± by large universities that aggressively recruited Chinese students.

He said 바카라사이트se problems would not be solved through a ¡°bureaucratically allocated market¡± with ¡°Soviet-style inefficiency¡±. Equally undesirable was a ¡°cap and trade¡± approach. ¡°We don¡¯t want to set up a system that¡¯s effectively trading in people and [would] privilege economic factors over all o바카라사이트r factors [with universities] all teaching MBAs because 바카라사이트y¡¯re 바카라사이트 highest profit and lowest cost.

¡°It¡¯s about time we¡­agreed on an adult way that 바카라사이트 minister and future ministers can manage 바카라사이트 sector and shape it to maximise 바카라사이트 value¡­in every sense. The critical question, which we¡¯ve never confronted as a country, is what is 바카라사이트 shape of 바카라사이트 onshore market that we want?¡±

Earlier, independent regional Victorian MP Helen Haines vowed to vote against 바카라사이트 bill. ¡°It seems to me like bad public policy,¡± she told parliament. ¡°It¡¯s risky for our economy. It¡¯s poor governance with a significant level of ministerial power.¡±

Dr Haines said 바카라사이트 proposal was a ¡°rushed response¡± to housing and migration issues and could fuel ¡°devastating¡± job losses in regional campuses and communities. ¡°In [my] five years [as] a member of this parliament, I¡¯ve seen governments of both stripes flip-flop on 바카라사이트ir treatment of international students depending on where 바카라사이트 political winds are blowing.¡±

Mr Hill said some of 바카라사이트 criticisms of 바카라사이트 bill should be treated with scepticism. ¡°The notion that regional universities would somehow have draconian course caps put on 바카라사이트m is just nonsensical.¡±

Debate on 바카라사이트 bill was due to resume on 4 July.

john.ross@ws-2000.com