The Hon Julia Gillard MP
Minister for Education. Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Minister for Social Inclusion
Deputy Prime Minister
10 June, 2009
Excerpts
Doorstop Interview
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
DOORSTOP INTERVIEW
10AM WEDNESDAY
10 JUNE 2009
UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
JOURNALIST: Ms Gillard, do you think that the Federal Government is doing enough to address the concerns of international students?
JULIA GILLARD: We’re working hard to address the concerns of international students. Both the Prime Minister and I have made it very clear that we want international students to be safe in this country and to feel safe. This country welcomes every year hundreds of thousands of international students, and overwhelmingly they tell us that they have a good time in Australia and that they enjoy studying here and getting qualifications from our great education institutions.
But there have obviously been problems, problems for Indian students. We want to make sure that they feel safe. Our state colleagues are moving forward, increasing policing efforts. The Premier of Victoria, for example, today has announced new initiatives to increase policing in areas that have had a problem. The police here and in Victoria are working with local communities, the Indian community and international student communities. We are working with the Indian Government to get the message across to students who might be contemplating studying in this country, what Australia’s all about. These are all important initiatives. Our universities themselves, through Universities Australia, have issued a new statement about safe universities and working with students to make sure they feel safe and are safe.
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