In just 24 hours,
The Prime Minister of Australia delivered an important speech
It has also attracted the attention of many people!
After all, it's the end of the year...
This year, gratitude and acknowledgment of "difficult" times were at the heart of the Australian Prime Minister's speech.
After wishing Australians a Merry Christmas, Albanese said the holiday represented a time of "celebration" and "reflection".
Show Other,
At the same time, thank you to the front-line workers who stick to their posts!
...
On the other hand
"We are grateful to all those who gave up Christmas for the sake of others," he said. ”
He also said that for many Australians,
2023 is not an easy time.
"I know many Australians are currently struggling to cope with the consequences of the floods, particularly those in Queensland's Far North. ”
Australia's Defence Minister also praised members of the Australian Defence Force for their help in the aftermath of the floods in a joint holiday statement.
"Your willingness and commitment to deploy at short notice to help communities in need is a true reflection of your professionalism, service, and sacrifice. ”
The Australian Prime Minister has also publicly acknowledged for the first time that Australians are currently facing significant cost-of-living pressures and that the Labor government is likely to roll out more relief measures in 2024.
He revealed that the Labour government plans to help more people reduce their financial stress in the new year and is actively considering additional relief measures for low- and middle-income earners.
"As we begin the new year, we will continue to look at how we can help people and ease the cost-of-living pressures they are facing. ”
"This is what we are concerned about ahead of the release of the mid-year economic and fiscal outlook and the 2024 budget. We will consider what measures we can take to help, especially for low- and moderate-income earners. ”
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, in his Christmas and New Year's address, also acknowledged the pressures Australians face every day.
"2023 has been a year of hardship at home and adversity abroad," Dutton said. While millions of Australians are struggling to make ends meet, he praised the "characteristic resilience" of the Australian people.
And what will Australia look like next year?
We've put together everything the latest Australian government's current determinations...
From money and immigration to others, let's take a look!
01
The Australian government wants to send money
Relief Life!
From January 1 next year, welfare benefits for nearly 1 million Australians will be boosted to help them better cope with cost-of-living pressures.
澳洲政府表示，福利金指数化的生效将使超过93.6万名青年津贴（Youth Allowance）、助学金（Austudy）、照顾者津贴（Carer Payment）以及残障援助福利金（Disability Support Pension）的受益者的社会福利金额增加6%。
From January 1st, depending on individual circumstances, the following subsidies are confirmed to be upgraded:
- Youth Allowance – $22.40 - $25.80 per fortnight for single people under 18 years old and over 18 years old who live with their family, and $36.20 for single people who do not live with their family. Those with a partner and children will see an increase of $39.20 per fortnight, and those with a partner but no children will add $36.20 per fortnight.
- Bursary – will increase by AUD 36.20 - AUD 45.60 every two weeks.
- Disability Assistance Benefit – The amount received by people under the age of 21 will increase by $31.10 – $44.90 every two weeks.
- Carer's Allowance – The bi-weekly amount will increase to $153.50 and more than 600,000 people will benefit.
In addition, this increase in benefits is part of the routine indexation of benefits in January each year to keep up with changes in inflation.
Australian Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth said the increase would help those receiving welfare support to better cope with the cost of living pressure.
"Australia's social security system has been continuously strengthened and improved to serve as a safety net to support all vulnerable Australians. ”
"With regular indexation, our payments are adjusted in response to changes in the cost of living to maintain people's purchasing power. ”
02
Australia wants to continue the immigration problem
There will be no new schools in Australia!
Including universities, colleges!
According to reports, the Australian federal government wants to reduce immigration by cracking down on student visas, so the government is currently considering a moratorium on new universities.
Australia's Minister for Skills and Training, Brendan O'Connor, said the government was also considering measures to end the exploitation of vulnerable students.
One option is to strengthen regulation to help weed out unscrupulous providers that already exist in the VET system.
Brendan O'Connor wants to weed "cunning" training providers out of VET space.
"My priority is to weed out the existing dodgy training providers from the VET industry and prevent new ones from coming in," O'Connor said. He added that under the previous administration, the industry has surged to more than 4,000 providers.
Home Secretary Clare O'Neil has released part of the Government's official response to a report by former Victorian Police Commissioner Christine Nixon on the use of the visa regime.
Reducing the number of international students enrolled is central to the government's plan to halve net migration overseas by June 2025. Net immigration surged to a record 518,000 in the last fiscal year as foreign students returned home after the pandemic.
Foreign students will now face a more rigorous English test and will have to prove that they are genuine students before entering the country.
Earlier this month, Home Secretary Claire O'Neill and Immigration Minister Andrew Giles launched an immigration strategy that would consider proposals from a parliamentary committee led by Labor Senator Deborah O'Neill to crack down on universities.
O'Neill said at the launch event that there are about 650,000 international students in Australia and that number is expected to grow. The Commission's report, released in October, called on the Skills Quality Authority of Australia to suspend the processing of new applications from international colleges, except for those with industry links or recognised by state and territory governments.
It also proposes to require institutions that want to teach international students to have taught domestic students for at least 12 months, and to cancel the registration of those institutions that have not taught students for at least a year.
The government announced in October that it would prohibit private universities from paying commissions to education intermediaries that poach students from rival institutions.
"We have strengthened the requirements for qualified personnel to become vocational education and training institutions, increased funding for regulators to establish a dedicated integrity unit to combat misconduct, and strengthened regulatory links with law enforcement and other agencies. O'Connor said.
Integrity reform also aims to eliminate so-called "ghost universities" that use the guise of offering fake courses to lead student visa holders into low-skilled, low-paying jobs.
Committee member and Labour MP Julian Hill said the review by former Victorian Police Commissioner Christine Nixon revealed serious concerns about the rapid growth of the private VET sector, particularly at the bottom.
But Troy Williams, chief executive of Australia's Independent Higher Education Commission, said it would be absurd and unhelpful to suspend the approval of new international education institutions.
03
The level of immigration in Australia will continue to slow
There has even been a significant reduction
After the catch-up effect of COVID-19 subsides, migration levels are expected to return to pre-pandemic trends in the coming years.
Net overseas migration is expected to reach 510,000 in 2022/23 before slowing to 375,000 in 2023/24, according to the Population Centre's annual update.
According to government agencies' projections, net overseas migration will fall to 250,000 by 2024/25, close to the pre-pandemic average.
Even with a temporary surge in immigration, net overseas migration between 2019/20 and 2022/23 is still expected to be 185,000 fewer than projected before the pandemic.
"The increase in net overseas migration largely reflects the catch-up of low (and sometimes negative) migrants during the pandemic, as well as the surging global demand for international study Xi and a strong domestic labor market," the 2023 population statement said. ”
The normalization of migration patterns, as well as the decline in fertility, are expected to slow population growth in the coming years.
The fertility rate is projected to fall from 1.66 children per woman in 2022/23 to 1.62 children per woman in 2030/31.
Looking ahead, Australia's population is projected to reach 29.8 million by 2030/31, 100,000 more than projected in the last federal budget but 600,000 less than pre-pandemic projections.
Australia's population is also ageing, with the median age expected to increase from 38.5 years in 2021/22 to 39.8 years in 2033/34.
Acting Treasurer Katy Gallagher said the government was prepared for the huge demographic trends and shifts that are taking place.
"The government has set an ambitious agenda that takes into account these trends to help raise living standards and build a stronger, more sustainable and inclusive economy. ”
"The Government's migration strategy, unveiled earlier this month, will ensure that Australia has a carefully adapted migration system that is in our national economic interest," she said.
"We are also committed to improving livability in cities, suburbs and regions, including by investing heavily in housing supply, realigning infrastructure pipelines, and investing heavily in health insurance and essential services. ”
China-Australia and overseas news hotspots,
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Australian red-collar king
Australia's popular young Chinese media platform. The Australian Red Scarf broadcasts Australian social information trends and current affairs hotspots every day, and publishes high-quality dry goods and interesting content necessary for international students to go abroad. It is a public account that you must pay attention to as long as you come to Australia.
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Official account
04
The time for the Australian interest rate to fall is set!
The second half of the year begins!
It is understood that Australians may see some relief in their economic outlook in 2024 after a year of interest rate hikes and high cost-of-living pressures.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia Chief Economist Stephen Halmaric shared his predictions for the year ahead and announced a series of steep interest rate projections.
He said that the rate hike in 2023 has achieved the desired effect of slowing economic growth, and to this extent, things are likely to start to go in the opposite direction, with the cash rate coming down instead of raising it.
The Commonwealth Bank said the cash rate will fall by 75 basis points starting in September and again in the second half of 2025.
Inflation is currently around 5.4% and is expected to return to the ideal range of 2% to 3% earlier than the Reserve Bank's projections.
"The CBA predicts that annual inflation will pick up to 3% by the end of 2024," he said. ”
"We also expect the RBA to begin a dovish monetary policy easing cycle from September 2024. He said Australia's economy was slowing down at a slower pace than other countries.
"The good news is that the pace of global inflation has clearly started to decelerate around mid-2023, and we expect a further deceleration in 2024. ”
"However, the market will also focus on the balance between inflation returning to the 2% target without causing too much damage to the labor market. ”
This does not mean that more people will lose their jobs, but that employment will grow at a slower rate than the population is growing in working age, the Commonwealth Bank statement said.
Migration to Australia is also likely to slow as housing supply remains limited and housing prices continue to rise. Forecasts show that house prices will rise by another 5% next year, following a 9.6% increase in February 2023.
05
Australian work visa
Not available in this area
Announced early next year!
In the latest immigration reform announced by the Australian government,
The adjustment of the work permit for 485 graduates has become the focus.
According to the latest policy, the Australian government plans to reduce the number of immigrants through a series of measures, including shortening the length of the 485 visa, preventing the application for a study permit after the visa ends, and preventing unskilled graduates from remaining in the country.
One of the most notable adjustments is the direct reduction of the age requirement for the 485 visa from 50 to 35. This change is expected to disqualify many applicants, causing widespread concern and dissatisfaction.
According to a report by The Australian, some professionals in the field of education said that adjusting the age limit for 485 visa applications to 35 years old may have a great impact on the research strength of Australian universities.
The report pointed out that countries around the world are fiercely competing for talent, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, etc., so governments must be thoughtful when considering the implementation of restrictions to avoid far-reaching negative impacts. This policy may lead to older people with rich technical backgrounds being forced to choose to study, Xi, work and live in other countries.
The Labor government's policy changes will have a wide-ranging and far-reaching impact on Australia. According to relevant data, in 2022-23, Australia issued 10,367 advanced degree research visas to international students, almost double the previous year, an increase of about 52%.
According to the latest data from the Home Office, nearly half of the higher education applicants who were granted visas in 2022-23 were aged 30 years or older.
This means that by the time these students graduate, many of them may have reached the age of 35 or older, which will disqualify them from obtaining a post-study work visa under the new rules, while also further exacerbating the skills gap in the Australian labour market.
Recently, however, there has been unexpected news that the age limit for the 485 graduate work permit will be waived for some Chinese applicants. This exemption has sparked heated discussions in all walks of life, especially for the beneficiaries, and has become an exciting piece of good news.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Claire replied to inquiries from local Hong Kong groups last Friday that the upper age limit of the 485 visa will not apply to Hong Kong students, including those who are already in Australia and will be in the future, to be announced early next year.
This matter has also aroused the opinions of many people, and some Xiaohongshu netizen Australian Engineering Lunge posted an article saying:
Emergent: The 485 age limit does not apply to Hong Kong students.
According to him, more details will be announced early next year.
This netizen also said: The news I released must be faster than the official, if you want a source, just wait for the official website to announce it
In this regard, the comment area said:
Just write it directly, only for Chinese mainland students
There's no need to argue, HK's 485 has been a long time for five years,,, and it will never be possible to treat all countries the same, whether it's length or ,,,,age, people's territory can be regulated whatever they want, and there is nothing wrong with it
HK graduates can still get 485 for five years
The Chinese are really miserable, staying in the country from a small volume, and wanting to run is also subject to various restrictions
Those who limit themselves are their own people who have been run out in the early years, and they have been fighting for thousands of years, and they are not a joke, otherwise everyone thinks that they learned from the crisis at the age of 35
It's discrimination at all.
They are all Chinese, but they have different fates
Does this restriction have to be born in Hong Kong? Will mainlanders also be restricted if they take Hong Kong permanent residence?
It's almost written on the face of the mainland students
HK would not have required this visa either
Powerful. Let's take it one step at a time
Damn, the immigration bureau is not a person!
Oh my God, why do you always treat mainlanders differently?
Indian students are not affected either?
Despite recent measures by the federal government to restrict permanent temporary immigration, Indian students graduating from certain degrees will be allowed to stay and work in Australia for up to four years.
Recently, government officials briefed more than 400 educational institutions in Delhi on the Morrison government's existing free trade agreement with India, which takes precedence over the immigration reforms announced by the Albanian government on Monday.
According to the Ministry of Education, in September, 153,250 Indian overseas students were enrolled in courses in Australia. The Australian Trade Commission estimates that around 50,000 people may be eligible for longer visas under the trade agreement.
The 46,600 students pursuing master's programs, who account for about one-third of the total number of Indian students, will be granted an additional year of residency for up to three years. Approximately 1,800 PhD graduates also receive an additional year of Xi, i.e. four years.
Generally, overseas students who have completed their course can apply for a Temporary Graduate visa, which allows them to stay and work in Australia for two years.
As part of the immigration strategy, Home Affairs Minister Claire O'Neill reversed a year-old decision to allow graduates of certain courses to stay and work in Australia for a further two years.
But master's and doctoral students from India, the second-largest source of foreign students after China, will be awarded an extra year of qualification. The glitch was caused by a free trade agreement signed with India last April by then-Trade Minister Dan Tehan.
Indian High Commissioner Philip Green, quoted by Indian media, as saying that "the commitments made by India and Australia in the ECTA will be upheld under the new migration strategy".
The focus of the immigration review is to clean up the flow of non-genuine students into Australia. Student visa holders from India, Nepal, and Pakistan could be hit the hardest by the stricter rules.
The review also found that graduates on post-graduation visas often work in jobs that are well below the level of skills they have attained.
As the Australian Financial Review revealed this year, student enrolment in India has surged since the end of last year, while there has been a backlash against unethical visa regime practices and abuse.
Phil Honeywood, chief executive of the Australian Association of International Education, said the issues that the immigration review was trying to solve were themselves undermined by a previous agreement.
"It is now found that the market that the government most wanted to capture has now been granted diplomatic immunity. ”
"While Indian education intermediaries have won, how do we explain this special offer to other major student markets such as China, Nepal and Vietnam?"
Mr Honeywood said it was "ironic" that Tehan had signed a "special waiver" when he was trade minister, while he had recently "been asking us in parliament for weeks to reduce overseas students".
Earlier this week, Tehan accused the Albanian government of "talking but not doing" about the "blowout" of international students.
"We're seeing a surge in the number of international students, which puts pressure on international students' social licensing in this country. ”
"Obviously, there is a place for international students as well, but under the Labour government for the last 18 months, the situation has spiraled completely out of control, which is not good for international students in this country and not good for our reputation...... This is one of the chaos created by the Labour government. ”
In fact, the number of international students increased by only 2% compared to 2019, after the pandemic caused arrivals to stall overnight.
Although net overseas migration surged to 510,000 in 2022-23, this was largely a rebound from the COVID-19 era, when more people left the country than they entered. The measure is expected to return to pre-pandemic normal levels by 2024-25.
06
The international student market is facing great changes:
Isn't Australia targeting Chinese and Indian students in the future?
There are calls for Australia to take advantage of the emerging international university student population,
Because a new report identifies Africa as the main source of students for the next 30 years.
By 2050, Sub-Saharan Africa will be the "new China, the new India" – Australia's two largest sources of international students, according to a report published by The Lygon Group, commissioned by the Universities Association of Australia.
China's working-age population is expected to decline after peaking in 2026, while India's working-age population will eventually decline as the country's birth rate falls, the report notes.
"At the same time, the continent is expected to see the opposite change, with the proportion of the working-age population growing steadily," the report said. ”
"Education will be key to ensuring that the continent achieves its goal of 'getting rich before the old'. ”
Outgoing Australian University vice-chancellor Catriona Jackson said in an interview that as the global population shifts, Australia needs to focus on Africa, where the working-age population is surging.
"Soon, it won't be China and India anymore. will be part of Africa. She talked about demographic changes.
"We have built a very good education system that serves not only the domestic population, but also a large international population, so we just need to be absolutely at the forefront of the trend, otherwise we will be left behind. ”
"Australian universities have been working seriously and strategically for decades to build world-class international education sectors. "This position of strength has enabled education to develop into a multi-billion dollar export industry that provides a higher and more sustainable standard of living for all Australians. ”
According to the Ministry of Education, between 2002 and 2022, only 4.3% of international students came from North Africa, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa.
In contrast, students from Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Central Asia accounted for 70.2% of international students during the same period.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 38,790 international students arrived in Australia in October this year, an increase of 10,100 students from October 2022.
What are your thoughts on next year?