The Hon Julia Gillard MP
Minister for Education. Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Minister for Social Inclusion
Deputy Prime Minister
9 June, 2009
Excerpts
Transcript - Press Conference, Melbourne - 9 June 2009
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE
9AM TUESDAY
9 JUNE 2009
MELBOURNE
REPORTER: I’m just wondering if you’re concerned about the rise in incidents of attacks against Indian students? It doesn’t seem to be confined to Victoria anymore.
JULIA GILLARD: I think we’re all concerned and the Premier and I have discussed the matter in Victoria, and obviously, as a National Government, we’re concerned about any manifestations of violence in any part of the country. What I think we’d all say is, overwhelmingly, this is a safe country and it’s a country that’s welcomed international students. It’s a country that, when international students leave it, and we ask them how they’ve experienced it, overwhelmingly, they say they’ve had a positive experience in Australia, with the Australian people and in our Australian education institutions.
To the extent that we see any international student hurt or at risk, we obviously want to make a difference. We’ve been working with Victoria, with our state colleagues, trying to make that difference. Obviously, Victoria has responded very rapidly and well to these circumstances and we’ll be working with the international student community and with the Indian Government to make sure that international students get the right information about living in this country and also that they’re there able to tell us what more they need to make sure that they feel safe and secure here, in this country. Thank you very much.
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