Page 1486 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 6 April 2011

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Northern Territory will provide a concession rate to all undergraduate, postgraduate, and international students and it will also provide the concession rate to all interstate students. Here in the ACT, though, as I understand it, we do not recognise interstate student concessions. I think that is something that needs to be made clear. I would like to be wrong but as I understand it we do not recognise those interstate student cards, and there is a certain level of, I guess, hypocrisy if we want to be leaders on this issue.

I would ask that the government reconsider this position. We do want to be up there with the leaders on this issue. We should be practising what we are preaching and recognise concession cards of interstate students. We are the national capital. We often have students visit the territory because of the educational opportunities we offer and we should recognise their legitimate right to concessions when they use public transport.

Members may be interested to know that in 2009 the Senate held an inquiry into the welfare of international students. Gary Humphries was part of this inquiry, so he would be well aware of these issues and how they impact on ACT students. As part of this inquiry, the committee received evidence from the broader student community and key stakeholders supporting the idea of establishing a nationally consistent student card for undergraduates, postgraduates and international students.

At the hearings, Dr Withers from Universities Australia talked about the inequalities that face international students in particular and talked about the unsuccessful attempts to have the issue of travel concessions placed on the COAG agenda. Dr Withers said:

The areas that they most indicated some concerns about were those not completely within university control. Australian employers and state government travel concessions were in fact the two most common complaints in our exit surveys. We sought to have things put on the COAG agenda because, in the case of the travel concessions, they are a state responsibility.

Unfortunately, this still has not happened. I encourage Ms Burch and the ACT government to persist in this endeavour, and they certainly will have the support of the Greens on this issue.

MS BURCH (Brindabella—Minister for Disability, Housing and Community Services, Minister for Children and Young People, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Minister for Women) (5.42): As Minister for Children and Young People and minister for community services, I am pleased to support Mr Hargreaves’s motion on a national student concession card.

I would be more than happy to take with a large amount of vigour this issue through to the Community and Disability Services Ministers Conference. The development of a comprehensive national system may take some time, but given the recent experience with the national agreement on certain concessions for pensioners and seniors card holders I am confident that it is very possible that we can move forward on this issue. I am also confident because this is an important reform to help young Australians overcome the barriers of our federation.


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