Australian reshuffle ‘chance to rethink international education’

Australia’s ministerial reshuffle is an opportunity for the federal government to “review and refine” its international education policies, according to the representative body for research-intensive universities.

Employment and workplace relations minister Tony Burke will replace Clare O’Neil as home affairs minister, in changes prompted by the impending departure of two members of Cabinet.

Mr Burke will also assume the duties of outgoing immigration minister Andrew Giles. Mr Giles has been named minister for skills and training, replacing Brendan O’Connor, who is stepping down from Cabinet ahead of his retirement at the forthcoming election.

The Group of Eight (Go8) said it would seek an urgent meeting with Mr Burke to discuss the “significant national economic damage” threatened by Canberra’s stance on international education.

“The government is making a critical mistake by using international students as a scapegoat to manage a short-term spike in migration and ease housing pressure,” said chief executive Vicki Thomson.

“Imposing caps on international student enrolments will have long-lasting, damaging consequences for our economy, our capacity to attract the highest-quality students, our skilled workforce and Australia’s international reputation.”

It remains to be seen whether the ministerial changes will significantly affect the policy environment. Immigration is seen as an area of political vulnerability for the governing Labor Party amid opposition criticism of record numbers of post-pandemic arrivals.

Journalists at a 28 July press conference asked prime minister Anthony Albanese whether Ms O’Neil and Mr Giles were being punished for their performance in the home affairs portfolio. He said the new appointments should not be considered a rebuke, and the pair had done a good job cleaning up the immigration “mess” left by the previous government.

While Go8 campaigning has focused on the government’s proposal to cap international student numbers, some vice-chancellors believe enrolment quotas would be preferable to the visa processing chaos of the past eight months, with thousands of applicants rejected on apparently ad hoc grounds.

Mr Albanese also announced that security agency Asio would be removed from the home affairs portfolio and placed under the oversight of attorney general Mark Dreyfus.

Universities Australia said Mr Giles’ appointment to the skills and training portfolio came at a “crucial time” for tertiary education reform.

“Australia needs a strong pipeline of skilled workers to drive our future prosperity,” said chief executive Luke Sheehy. “Universities, along with TAFE and VET [vocational education and training] providers have a central role to play. We are all key partners in this task of supporting a productive and modern economy and society.”

Julian Hill, a former international education bureaucrat in the Victorian state government, has been named assistant minister for citizenship and multicultural affairs.

john.ross@timeshighereducation.com