The Coalition has argued that there is a “strong and persuasive argument for a statutory review” of the Education Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025.
Coalition Senators on the Senate Committee for Education and Employment Legislative Committee tabled additional comments in the Senate on Tuesday, one day after the Committee’s final report recommending that the Bill be passed. (TKN 241125)
Their comments raise concerns about proportionality, regulatory coherence, evidence -based policy, and respect for institutional autonomy.
“Submitters provided clear, compelling evidence that several provisions of the bill are extraordinary in scope, poorly sequenced, insufficiently justified, and in some cases would introduce new systemic risks while failing to address the core problems they purport to resolve.”
The additional comments highlight a number of issues raised in submissions regarding the proposed amendments to the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act), including:
- The definition of education agent
- Transparency, information-gathering and publication
- Barriers to competition and market entry
- Extraordinary Ministerial powers to cancel classes of courses
The paper also raises concerns about aspects of the proposed amendments to the A New Tax System (Family Assistance) (Administration) Act 1999.
The Senators conclude that while there is broad support for strengthening integrity, protecting students, and safeguarding Australia’s international education reputation, the evidence before the inquiry “demonstrates that there are multiple areas where additional safeguards are required”, forming the basis for their call for a statutory review.
The Bill has not yet made it onto the Senate’s Order of Business for debate in this final sitting week of the year, although its inclusion on the Notice Paper signals the Government’s intention to bring it forward
There is a sense of déjà vu in the timing of the Coalition’s opposition. In 2024, it was on the Monday of the final sitting week that Shadow Education Spokeswoman Senator Sarah Henderson announced the Coalition would oppose the ESOS Amendment Bill.
The Koala will be watching closely on Thursday, the final sitting day of the year, to see whether the Government puts forward amendments that satisfy the Coalition or whether another international education bill fails to pass before Christmas. (The upside? No 2026 election pressure this time. Just a sector anxiously waiting to see what the legislation will actually say.)
The Coalition Senators’ additional comments document is available here.
