The story starts back in the 1980s. Up until 1979, tertiary education had been virtually free for all – overseas students and domestic students alike – with everyone paying the same “administration fee” of around $100 a year. In 1979, a $1,500 tuition fee was introduced for overseas students. The government said that this would help to fund more places for domestic students, and promised that domestic students would never have to pay. In reality, as per usual, attacks on migrants were the opening shots of a war on everyone.