The federal election will be held soon, and members in the post-secondary sector have plenty to ponder when deciding how to vote.
The biggest political issue the sector has faced over the past year has been the federal government’s efforts to limit international student numbers.
After almost no arrivals while international borders were closed during the pandemic, Australia has welcomed many overseas students in recent years.
International students
Education has long been one of Australia’s biggest exports, earning substantial revenue for universities and colleges as well as creating jobs.
Once borders reopened and students returned, there was always going to be some catch-up in numbers for a few years. There are signs these numbers are already starting to fall.
The government’s initial approach was to introduce quotas for each institution – an approach widely disliked in the sector.
However, the Opposition surprised everyone late last year by announcing it would vote against the government’s plans to reduce numbers, effectively stopping this proposal in its tracks.
The government has now taken a different approach, with an overall cap of 270,000 per year, and an effective “go-slow” on student visa approvals when applications for any given institution reach 80 per cent of that college’s nominal cap.
But anyone who thought that a vote against the government would ensure a business-as-usual approach might be disappointed.
The Coalition under Peter Dutton has flagged an even more restrictive approach to Australia’s international student intake – this is bad news for the ELICOS sector.
Meaningful reforms
So what are the differences between the major parties when it comes to industrial relations?
The Albanese government has legislated numerous reforms that benefit employees right across the economy, including in the post-secondary sector (see also page 5).
To ensure greater job security, the government has limited the use of casual and fixed-term employment, brought in a new “right to disconnect” outside of normal working hours, improved rules in the bargaining system for pay and conditions and encouraged larger-than-average increases to the minimum wage and award wages.
The Coalition has made no secret that it would move to repeal these changes if elected this year.