To the medical colleges, it must feel like they have become an occupied territory — the way AHPRA has made growing incursions into their activities.

Like most imperial enterprises, the incursions are justified in public on the basis that colleges are struggling to manage their own affairs.

A consultation paper emerged last week, proposing to put the system used by colleges to identify IMGs with the skills and experience to work as specialists in Australia under new management.

The phrasing may trigger reactions. It is not an incursion. It is not AHPRA management. The colleges still set the standards, sort of. The colleges still do the assessments.