The Coalition supports capping international student numbers. There are a range of concerns about the legislation before the parliament which are currently being interrogated.
It is disappointing the Group of Eight, Australia’s most prestigious universities, is threatening to cut domestic student numbers, as CEO Vicki Thomson suggested on ABC radio yesterday.
As a result of Labor’s discriminatory and covert immigration policies, foreign students at Group of Eight universities have increased this year by 34 per cent to 83,020, while regional universities have suffered a 37 per cent decline to just 8,949 international students.
It is disgraceful the Albanese government is looking after the big end of town while punishing regional universities.
The proposed cap of 61,000 on the Group of Eight for 2025 returns these universities to their 2023 international student numbers.
If our top universities are going to reduce domestic students to protect their rivers of gold – billions of dollars in foreign student fees – the Coalition will consider further measures to put Australian students first.
All university vice-chancellors need to understand their fundamental obligation is to educate Australians.