Senator Trood said that today’s reports that State and territory coroners have suppressed the details of the deaths of more than 50 overseas students are likely to further damage Australia’s reputation as a safe and tolerant study destination. He said the Rudd Government’s response to growing overseas concerns about the Australian Government’s ability to ensure the safety of international students has been misguided and inadequate. 

“To date, the issue of international students’ welfare has barely registered on the radar on the Rudd Government’s priorities,” Senator Trood said.

 “50 young people have actually lost their lives and this Labor government is unwilling and unable to put pressure on their State Parliamentarian comrades to be transparent about the details of their deaths.

“While keeping silent may certainly be helpful in keeping the lid on any party disagreements, we know that the Indian press and government are well aware of the difficulties India students are facing here.

“Even a rudimentary understanding of diplomacy would suggest that attempting to withhold these facts is hardly helpful to Australia’s attempts to dispel the recent perception of our country as unsafe, and even racist.

“For a Government led by a man who has built his political career on his apparent expertise in diplomacy and knowledge of the Asian region, which is so important to Australia’s security and prosperity, this is completely unacceptable.”

Education represents a $15.5 billion industry for Australia and is our highest export earner, behind iron and coal, with China and India being the two most important markets in education.

“The global financial crisis is already slowing down the growth of international students numbers in Australia, we cannot afford to continue to sit on our hands while our international reputation is compromised.” Senator Trood said

“The Government must take leadership on this issue and take active steps to recover Australia’s good name abroad. At the very least this should include sending the Education Minister to India. Sending the Federal Education Department secretary, as the Government currently plans to do, is tokenistic at best.

“But this is an issue not only for the Department for Education, the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Immigration must also intervene actively and make their voices heard in support of the international students’ welfare in Australia,” Senator Trood concluded.

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