FOREIGN students who graduate with a university degree or equivalent vocational qualification could be offered three-year work visas to stay in Australia, under a proposal by the states and territories put forward at yesterday's Council of Australian Governments meeting.
The three-year visa would apply to graduates in areas where skills shortages exist.
The Premier, Barry O'Farrell, supported the idea, saying, for example, it would help alleviate chronic shortages of doctors in some regions.
Yesterday's COAG was the first attended by Mr O'Farrell and while there was agreement on mental health, a national disability insurance scheme and the harmonisation of transport regulations, it ended with the four most powerful states - Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Western Australia - still opposed outright to the carbon tax.
Despite a presentation by the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, which sources said Mr O'Farrell had asked for but arrived late, no one changed their view.
''The Prime Minister's views weren't changed by our presentation,'' the Victorian Liberal Premier, Ted Baillieu, snapped.
Mr O'Farrell, who claims the carbon tax will have an impact on NSW jobs, its economy and coal-fired electricity generators, said he had given up trying to convince Ms Gillard to change her mind. ''This woman's not for turning and that was perfectly clear,'' he said.
Queensland's Anna Bligh, the sole Labor Premier with concerns, said: ''There are some parts of this package that fall disproportionately on states that have a high level of public ownership of generators.
''I certainly felt I got a good hearing but I don't think I have persuaded her yet - but I don't believe the conversation is over.''
However, long-term plans to develop a National Disability Insurance Scheme were given a lift when the erstwhile critic, the Western Australian Premier, Colin Barnett, gave his in-principle acceptance for the proposal.
A joint federal-state council of ministers is to begin work immediately on the ''foundations'' of the disability scheme, which will require a new tax expected to begin in 2017.
Leaders also agreed to develop a 10-year ''roadmap'' to reform mental health services but stopped short of committing to ensuring access to mental health care is equivalent to that for treatment of physical ills.
Mental health campaigners urged the leaders to end the discrimination against mental health funding, highlighting their case with an apartheid-era ''whites only'' sign contained in their submission.
In a rare address by non-officials to a COAG meeting, a deputation, including leading psychiatrist Patrick McGorry, presented evidence showing mental disorders to be the most dominant cause of ill health among young people and called for equity of access to care for the mentally-ill.
The leaders agreed to commence work on the shared development of partnership agreement to focus on issues including accommodation and support, major hospital emergency services and support services.
The COAG communique stated that by addressing priority service gaps in the system, a national partnership ''will help move Australia's mental health system away from crisis-driven activity towards prevention, early intervention and care in the community''.
The three-year visa would apply to graduates in areas where skills shortages exist.
The Premier, Barry O'Farrell, supported the idea, saying, for example, it would help alleviate chronic shortages of doctors in some regions.
Despite a presentation by the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, which sources said Mr O'Farrell had asked for but arrived late, no one changed their view.
''The Prime Minister's views weren't changed by our presentation,'' the Victorian Liberal Premier, Ted Baillieu, snapped.
Mr O'Farrell, who claims the carbon tax will have an impact on NSW jobs, its economy and coal-fired electricity generators, said he had given up trying to convince Ms Gillard to change her mind. ''This woman's not for turning and that was perfectly clear,'' he said.
Queensland's Anna Bligh, the sole Labor Premier with concerns, said: ''There are some parts of this package that fall disproportionately on states that have a high level of public ownership of generators.
''I certainly felt I got a good hearing but I don't think I have persuaded her yet - but I don't believe the conversation is over.''
However, long-term plans to develop a National Disability Insurance Scheme were given a lift when the erstwhile critic, the Western Australian Premier, Colin Barnett, gave his in-principle acceptance for the proposal.
A joint federal-state council of ministers is to begin work immediately on the ''foundations'' of the disability scheme, which will require a new tax expected to begin in 2017.
Leaders also agreed to develop a 10-year ''roadmap'' to reform mental health services but stopped short of committing to ensuring access to mental health care is equivalent to that for treatment of physical ills.
Mental health campaigners urged the leaders to end the discrimination against mental health funding, highlighting their case with an apartheid-era ''whites only'' sign contained in their submission.
In a rare address by non-officials to a COAG meeting, a deputation, including leading psychiatrist Patrick McGorry, presented evidence showing mental disorders to be the most dominant cause of ill health among young people and called for equity of access to care for the mentally-ill.
The leaders agreed to commence work on the shared development of partnership agreement to focus on issues including accommodation and support, major hospital emergency services and support services.
The COAG communique stated that by addressing priority service gaps in the system, a national partnership ''will help move Australia's mental health system away from crisis-driven activity towards prevention, early intervention and care in the community''.
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