Higher Education

The same number of senators voted for and against a motion introduced by Tasmanian Senator Anne Urquhart (Labor), which means it failed.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) Murdoch University has proposed to cut its Indonesian language courses in 2021,

(ii) Latrobe University has proposed to cut its Indonesian and Hindi language courses in 2021,

(iii) Swinburne University has proposed to cut its entire language program, including Japanese and Mandarin in 2021, and

(iv) these cuts will reduce the number of Australian university students studying Asian languages for years to come, and are a result of the Government's tertiary funding cuts;

(b) further notes that:

(i) increasing Australia's Asia capability, including through the study of languages, is vital for Australia to engage with the Indo-Pacific region and support our economic recovery, and

(ii) the study of Asian languages is important for strengthening the people-to-people links that will be critical in diversifying Australia's economic relationships in the Indo-Pacific region; and

(c) calls on the Australian Government to take urgent steps to:

(i) make the study of Asian languages a national priority, and

(ii) properly fund universities.