Thaindian News

Melbourne, Sep 21 (IANS) It would have been great if the Victorian premier had gone to Mumbai but there were understandable constraints, India’s consul general in Melbourne has said after John Brumby cancelled his trip to India’s financial capital due to a terror threat.
Consul-General Anita Nayar says she understands Brumby was following advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) when he decided to skip Mumbai during his India trip due to terrorism concerns.

“It would have been great if the premier could have sent that message but I understand that there are constraints,” The Age quoted her as saying.

“We would have liked him to visit Mumbai.

“One can never predict what is going to happen. If he had gone and something happened,

everybody would say: ‘Why did you go?’”

Brumby told reporters here Monday: “We need to be guided by advice that comes from DFAT. That advice came in last week and over the weekend.”

“The unanimous view of the Victoria Police, my department head and my office was that I should change my programme and I’ve done that. I do that reluctantly but at the end of the day I need to follow that advice,” he was quoted as saying.

Brumby said he expected a drop in international students coming to Melbourne next year due to the global financial crisis.

Before flying out of Melbourne Monday, Brumby announced a $14 million boost to the state’s international education industry that last year pumped almost $5 billion into the state’s economy.

Some $2.7 million will go to better support for international students.

Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu said the premier should have visited India years ago.

He said there wasn’t anything in the $14 million package that addressed the safety and security of international students.