In yesterday’s Senate Committee hearing into the Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment (Quality and Integrity) Bill 2024, Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson took umbrage at a question by Labor Senator and Committee Chair, Tony Sheldon, causing a fiery exchange and a suspension of proceedings.
Sheldon asked whether comments made by the leader of the opposition, Peter Dutton, that international students were the modern version of boat people, have an impact on how Australia is viewed by international students.
Henderson’s umbrage stemmed from Sheldon leaving out the part that Dutton was referring to students who are now appealing to the AAT.
It was a disappointing exchange, and both Senators would do well to reflect on their behaviour.
It was unfair of Sheldon to use the providers, who are not politicians and are genuinely concerned about the future of their organisations, as pawns to score obvious political points. Some providers were noticeably uncomfortable, although Monique Knight, Chief Executive Officer, Bankstown Community College Institute gave an excellent response saying that they were “just focused on our college and our community”.
And Henderson may very well want to clarify the context of what Dutton said in a Senate Committee hearing, but there’s no such contextualisation for students who read these comments in the media domestically and overseas.
The answer to Sheldon’s question is an unequivocal ‘yes’.
