International Students

The Hon. T.T. NGO (15:03): Supplementary to the previous answer by the minster: the minister mentioned an initiative in terms of attracting international students to the state. Was a 10 per cent target discussed with the departments along with the initiative for international students?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) (15:03): There was not really a target discussed. It is an important part of our economy—we have 35,000 international students here, and we want to grow that number. The Premier has been on the record saying that he wants to double it. We want to grow it, and I do not think that we should put an upper limit on any of these things. Each state will be slightly different. We did not have a set target. I do not recall the ministers tossing around a target. I will check the notes from that meeting to ascertain whether there was a target.

My view is to get the framework right, get the policy right and host the maximum number that your community can cope with, because, as the honourable member would know, for every four international students who come into a town or a city like ours, one job is created. Then, of course, you have all the flow-on benefits of the family and friends who come to visit.

I know that in Melbourne when all the international students come back, the luxury clothes and apparel sales go through the roof, because they know that in places like Australia and the UK and others those luxury goods are not fakes, they are actually genuine articles. A lot of the international consumers come to buy that sort of stuff. I don't think you should ever put a lid on the number. You should actually make sure you can comfortably handle the student numbers, not overcrowd the city and not overcrowd the universities but make sure that we can cope with it. There should never be a top number on it.

Of course, it is also that those people have a wonderful experience. Everybody who has been to university, by and large nearly every one of them, has great memories of that time at university. A lot of these people go back to be community leaders, business leaders, political leaders and leaders of their country, and to have fond memories of Adelaide is really important. The more that we can have leaving our shores the better.

If we have 35,000 at the moment leaving our shores, with all 35,000 of them with fond memories of South Australia, we can double that and have 70,000 leaving the state each year saying, 'Wasn't it a great place! I need to get back there.' They have the friendships, the relationships, the networks they build. I honestly think you should never put a cap on it. You should just strive to have most people that you can cope with, to get the biggest possible benefit for them and for our South Australian economy.