Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister for Education and Training. Will the minister update the House on the benefits to higher education services of the export agreement with China, particularly in my home state of Western Australia?

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the House will resume his seat.

Mr Perrett interjecting—

The member for Moreton is warned! I could not hear the last part of the question.

Ms Macklin interjecting—

The member for Jagajaga will cease interjecting. I am going to ask the member for Cowan to ask his question again.

Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister for Education and Training. Will the minister update the House on the benefits to higher education services of the export agreement with China, particularly in my home state of Western Australia?

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Cowan for his question. I know that he, like most members of this House, is a great enthusiast for the international education market and for growing international education because of the jobs and the growth that that brings for our economy. In fact, international education is our fourth largest export industry, after iron ore, coal and natural gas, and it is one in front of gold. I think that most Australians are not aware of just how vitally important education is to our economy and to jobs. In fact, it directly employs about 135,000 Australians and is worth about $18 billion more than $18 billion of value to the Australian economy. Since the election of the Abbott government that value has increased by $2 billion.

Ms Chesters interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Bendigo will cease interjecting.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There has been a 14.6 per cent increase in international education enrolments in the last two years because of the policies that this government has introduced with the support of the states and with the support of the sector. Therefore, the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement represents a new opportunity for international education providers in Australia, particularly in a seat like Canning. Canning has a large number of industries, from bauxite and gold mining right across to tourism. Also little known is its education institutions, its education assets, such as the Peel campus of Murdoch University and the Polytechnic's Armadale campus, which was formally the Armadale campus of Curtin University. These institutions will benefit from the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement because on the day that the free trade agreement is finalised 77 new providers will immediately become approved providers on the Chinese government's official website, opening more serveries to international students who wish to come to Australia, giving Australian institutions more opportunities to have joint ventures in China and arrangements with China that expand their operations here and there, and vice versa. There are great opportunities. For example, there are 28 non-TAFE RTOs, registered training organisations, in Canning that will benefit and have the opportunity to get on that list of approved providers and therefore increase their revenue.

These things will happen if the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement goes ahead. They are vital for changing the economy in Western Australia and elsewhere to an economy that draws on many different sources and is therefore flexible and agile in a changing world economic environment. Who could not be in favour of this China-Australia Free Trade Agreement? Sadly, the Labor Party, the Leader of the Opposition, the CFMEU, the MUA, the AWU and Pauline Hanson—that is the company the Leader of the Opposition is keeping on this issue— (Time expired)