Thursday, 3 April 2025

Ministers statements: international students

Colin BROOKS (Bundoora – Minister for Industry and Advanced Manufacturing, Minister for Creative Industries) (14:14): Melbourne is ranked the best student city in the country, and that does not happen by accident. By working with our fantastic universities – some of the best in the world – and providing support and services through Study Melbourne, we attract students from all over the world to Victoria. I want to acknowledge those students who stepped up as our 2025 Study Melbourne ambassadors, helping other students to connect with each other and connect with the best student city in Australia: Melbourne. These students support the success of our international education sector, which employs some 63,000 people and contributes almost $15 billion to our economy every year.

The Allan Labor government will always stand up for workers and our students at our world-class universities, but what we are hearing from the Liberals and Nationals is that they will slash international education. With Peter Dutton –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Wendouree can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Wendouree withdrew from chamber.

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, the minister needs to be factual, and the fact of the matter is it is the federal Labor government that is cutting international students and international education.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

Colin BROOKS: Peter Dutton is talking about a flat cap on international students. I wonder if we will hear a peep out of those opposite, aside from points of order, to defend the 63,000 jobs from Peter Dutton’s caps. I am not holding my breath, because they sat there for over a decade twiddling their thumbs and refused to stand up for Victoria when Canberra refused to give Victoria its fair share.

We know that international students that come to Victoria often stay, providing essential skills or setting up new businesses, and those who return to their home countries stay connected with Victoria, building stronger social and economic ties between our state and global markets. That means that the short-sighted, xenophobic caps that Peter Dutton is proposing would not only damage our economy today but deny our state –

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, the fact of the matter is that this is an Albanese government policy and will impact a $15 billion economy here in Victoria.

The SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order.

Colin BROOKS: While those opposite continue to take their marching orders from a bloke in Queensland who wants to live in Sydney while he slashes investment in Victoria, the Allan Labor government will continue standing up for our students and the 63,000 people that rely on the international education sector.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Tarneit can leave the chamber for an hour and a half.

Member for Tarneit withdrew from chamber.