speaking in foreign tongues

apparently there is an ongoing decline in the numbers of students studying a foreign language. This year only 13% of year 12 students compared to 40% four decades ago.
Given the fear of all things foreign that has been engendered in the population generally in recent years this is perhaps understandable, but it may also reflect that as a nation we are starting to turn inward.
Hopefully more people will follow the example set by Kevin Rudd and see the benefits of learning another language, especially one that is relevant to our region.
The more I think about, the more I see that it would be a a big positive for Australia, irrespective of which side of politics they came from, if our PM was fluent in another language. It would send a strong signal that we as a nation do recognise other cultures and are willing to interact with them.