Page 5386 - Week 17 - Tuesday, 3 December 1991
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MR BERRY: I would get myself into deep strife, I think, by venturing an opinion about how long it should be for somebody who is likely to be admitted with one degree or another of a specific illness. It seems to me that you cannot answer a question as simply as that. Yes, it does have to do with the immediate availability or otherwise of a bed - there is no question about that - and at times the immediate availability of a bed is something that has to be resolved.
At the same time, there are other issues that I have come across during my time as Minister, such as when they have decided to keep people under observation for a period rather than go through the admission procedure and admit them. There are, as I have said, issues in relation to the type of illness that one has and the degree of seriousness, the discomfort, suffering, threat to life, and so on and so forth. But people suffering from a very serious, life threatening illness will be provided with appropriate services as they require them. There is no question about that.
Overseas Students
MR COLLAERY: My question is directed to the Minister for Education, Mr Wood. I ask the Minister whether he is aware that the Federal Government has decided that all private overseas students should pay for the education of their dependants in Australia. Is he aware that there is considerable hardship to some private overseas students - that is, those not coming from wealthier parts, particularly those from the Pacific area - in meeting those very high fees, some of them up to $15,000 for the year their children are in schools? Will the Minister investigate to see whether our Department of Education is in fact levying those fees pursuant to the recent Federal Government decision? If so, could the Minister report to the house or to members separately as to whether, given the extent of our private overseas scholar non-government funded student intake, particularly from the Third World and the Pacific, he will consider discussing that matter with the Federal Government?
MR WOOD: Mr Speaker, the Federal Government has required, by way of guidelines issued, that children of overseas students who attend our schools should be full fee paying. It is not all students; there are some exemptions and some special provisions. I am aware that that does create quite severe financial difficulties for some of those people who are not wealthy. I have met groups of people who have represented that interest to me. It is a matter that we are considering. We are under a quite severe restriction, if you like, or a request from the Commonwealth Government to accord to these guidelines, and the extent to which we may be able to step aside from that or may be able to offer further concessions is presently being investigated.
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