International Students

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (15:20): It is a good thing that the minister is in the chamber because I would like to talk a little about the state government's approach to attracting international students. The state government has released its International Student Action Plan. We are seeing a number of these action plans from the Weatherill government, the danger being that no action actually occurs.

Upon its launch, the minister for trade explained that this plan is called an action plan rather than a strategy because the government has a lot of strategies but the minister wants action—an interesting way to look at it, particularly when you open the first page and it reads:

Aim of this Action Plan. As soon as practicable, South Australia should achieve a target of 64,500 international students studying in SA—

When? It is interesting—

a 10% market share for international students based on national figures to the end of 2015.

'As soon as practicable' is the term used, not an actual time line when this should be achieved. What are the factors in play here? Is it practical to achieve this in two years, five years, 10 years, 20 years or 50 years? When will this number be achieved? Who determines this? The SA international education office is also being set up, but the plan does not outline any extra funding for it. Apparently, appropriate officers from the agencies that make up the office would be seconded to the IEO to work on key opportunities.

When it comes to targets on attracting international students, the goalposts have constantly moved. The Labor government fell 15,000 students short of its goal to attract 45,000 international students to the state by 2014. If you look at the last state budget, the target of international student enrolments was actually reduced to 31,900 in 2015 as part of the government's economic priority to increase the number of international students studying in SA, from 28,300 in 2013 to 35,500 in 2017—approximately 5 per cent of the market share based on the state's population. Currently, 32,000 international students are enrolled in South Australia.

Interestingly, the budget papers also stated that in 2014-15 the target was to have 5.7 per cent of the national share of overseas students in South Australia, but the estimate result was 5.2 per cent, and then the government decreased that target to 5.3 for the 2015-16 year—so much for thinking big and not small. The state government also missed its target for the number of international student commencements by 17,300 in the 2014-15 target: it only reached 16,460.

The main body responsible for promoting the city's education offering internationally, StudyAdelaide, was at one stage earmarked to have government funding cut. However, this funding was partially reinstated during the 2014 election campaign following an uproar from the opposition, industry and the public in general. If we look at some of our recently important international student markets, particularly South-East Asia, the latest statistics on South Australia's share of Indonesian students show that in 2012 we had 412. In 2016 we now have 286, and that is a damning statistic.

Look at some of the statistics. Let's look at the areas where a recent trade mission was undertaken by the minister to Vietnam and Indonesia. There are 1,118 Vietnamese students in South Australia to April 2016 out of a total, nationally, of 21,000. If we look at Indonesia, there are 286 students out of a total of 13,826. No wonder there are alarm bells ringing over there. International education is South Australia's fourth-largest export, reaching $1.13 billion in 2014-15.

The Hon. M.L.J. Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

Mr WHETSTONE: Its importance should not be underestimated, and there is no doubt that South Australia offers much to international students. It is an attractive place to study. In April, the federal government released its National Strategy for International Education 2025. It set out 10-year goals, it set out development plans—a global, Australian and international education community.

As stated in the media this morning, if the aspirational number of students is achieved and creates 8,400 jobs, does the government take credit for the fall in exports to China as the equivalent to 5,000 to 6,000 jobs? Here in South Australia we must do more. The state government is full of spin, with no targets and no credible achievements at all.

Time expired.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Fisher.

The Hon. M.L.J. Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The member for Fisher is entitled to be heard in silence.

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! That's it—out! Go and have your discussion outside. The member for Fisher is about to speak. Just walk out. If you want to have a chat, finish it outside.

Mr Gardner: You've been ejected, Martin, get out.

The Hon. M.L.J. Hamilton-Smith: We can't leave the house without a minister.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Well then, don't have the chat. The house will not put up with this behaviour while other members are trying to speak.

The honourable member for Chaffey having withdrawn from the chamber:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Fisher.