In their search for people other than themselves to blame for Australia’s lack of affordable housing, the country’s two major political parties have found an easy scapegoat in international students. At a superficial level, international students are an easy target, being only temporary residents of Australia, yet their economic contribution to the country is significant, they are a huge soft power asset, and – though it is often overlooked – they are shaping Australian cities in positive ways.
Last year, the Labor government attempted to limit the number of international students to 260,000 annually, but was unable to pass any legislation to this effect.
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