*spoiler alert: there is reference in this article to the origins of the Easter Bunny… if you don’t want to know, then look away now.
As readers recover from a long weekend that may or may not have included a chocolate indulgence, we are only eleven days out until the Federal election and early voting opened yesterday.
We already know where the two major political parties stand on policies impacting the international student industry should they be elected on 3 May (and if you need a reminder, check out the coverage in The Koala News). However, given the potential influence of some of the minor parties and independents post-election, we’ve examined their policies, or lack of, below.
Trumpet of Patriots
Let’s start with Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots, not because I think that they will have any influence post- election but because we know that the huge campaign advertising spend impacted previous election results. And because the stupidity of their policies in their ads have me yelling at the TV the most.
What does the Easter Bunny and the Trumpet of Patriots ‘policy’ on international students have in common? They are both a work of fiction (you can’t say I didn’t warn you).
Although there is nothing on the Party’s policies page about international students or about higher education, one of the campaign ads features candidate Suellen Wrightson stating that: (1) all student debt would be forgiven (2) university would be free (for domestic students) and (3) tuition fees of international students would be doubled to pay for it.
On migration, the Trumpet of Patriots will “cut immigration to sustainable levels and prioritise the needs of Australian citizens” and will “prioritise migration from nations with compatible values”. No further details are provided.
The Greens
We know from the debate about the now lapsed ESOS Amendment Bill that The Greens oppose international student caps. More recently, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Deputy Leader Spokesperson for Higher Education called the Coalition’s international student policy a “blatantly racist and dangerous attack on international students — a cynical attempt to scapegoat migrants and international students for a housing crisis they didn’t cause”.
The Greens are “focused on ensuring fair treatment for international students and mandating anti-racism initiatives in universities”.
The Greens’ plan for international students:
- $250 million annually for travel and health concessions and affordable student accommodation.
- Setting racial diversity targets for students, staff, and governance.
- Require universities to survey and publish data on racism and implement anti-racism policies based on the findings.
- Mandate anti-racism training for all university staff and enforce accountability for racist behaviour.
- Require universities to publicly report their progress in addressing racism.
Pauline Hanson’s One Nation
Immigration, or anti-immigration, has long been a central tenet of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation and this year is no different.
On international students, One Nation will “end the student visa loopholes that turn study into a backdoor to permanent residency or low-wage labour”.
One Nation has also committed to capping visas to 130,000 per year, although it is unclear which ‘visas’ this commitment refers to.
David Pocock
Independent Senator in the Australian Capital Territory, David Pocock, also opposed blunt caps on international students in 2024. If elected, Pocock says he will “continue to push for better protection of education standards without punishing high-performing institutions or shrinking one of Australia’s biggest exports”.
Jacqui Lambie Network
The Jacqui Lambie Network has a limited platform of issues and neither international students nor migration feature.
Katter’s Australian Party
Migration and international students are not featured in the policies of Katter’s Australian Party. But if you’re keen to know more about crocodile management and flying foxes policies, you can check out its website.
Victorian Socialists
And finally, I’ve included the Victorian Socialists here because the Party’s corflutes are a regular feature in my neighbourhood.
If elected, the Victorian Socialists will amend laws to ban “higher fees for international students”. Although given that the Party also plans to make university free for domestic students, the question is ‘higher than what?’.
The role of minor parties and independents in shaping Australia’s international education policy post-election shouldn’t be underestimated, especially if a minority government occurs. But it’s a mixed bag; from the detailed to the non-existent, from the scary to the fantastic.
We can only hope that whoever ends up holding the balance of power has policies more grounded than those as fictional as the Easter Bunny.
