Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Higgins for that question. I acknowledge that within her electorate she has a very significant Jewish school and also a lot of other significant independent schools, and that she takes the safety of students and the teaching staff there very seriously.

As does the Abbott government, and that is why we have committed to allocate $18 million within this budget for the Secure Schools Program. I am sure the member for Higgins would be interested to note that I have literally just come from a meeting with the Australian Council of Jewish Schools who, obviously, have a very keen interest in making sure that the students who attend the schools that they represent are protected when they go to those places. They are right to believe that the government has a keen interest in ensuring that that is the case.

The security issues that Jewish schools and other independent schools are concerned about are real issues. Sadly, you only need look back at recent history to understand why members of the Jewish community in particular are concerned about the safety of educational institutions that are associated with their community. We have seen some very drastic and terrible examples of that, to a very limited extent in Australia, certainly, but in Europe and other parts of the world we have seen dreadful attacks on Jewish schools, and we need to make sure that in Australia we are doing everything we can to make sure that educational institutions that might be targeted or at risk in this way are as difficult and hard to target as is possible. That is why we are allocating this $18 million. Funding will start in the 2014-15 budget to extend the Secure Schools Program, with $6 million available in each of the 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 years.

For the first time under this government that funding, as well as being able to be used for hard capital security infrastructure will also be able to be used for security guards. Schools and students should not be distracted from their studies by the threat of violence because of their race or religion. This program seeks to extend their security infrastructure so that they can enjoy the same schooling experience as any other school.

I know that the member for Higgins is very concerned about The King David School in particular. I am very pleased to have Carmel School in my electorate, which is the Jewish school in Western Australia—and an exceptionally good school it is too, with excellent academic results year after year. But I am aware from my contact with the school and with the Perth Hebrew congregation in general that they remain very concerned about their own security. Unfortunately, they have had incidents. They would not be as serious as some other security incidents that have appeared around the globe, but they have certainly given them pause for thought. The government stands with them in doing all that we can to make sure that we are securing Carmel School, The King David School and other independent schools around the country that might require that attention.

I am about to write to state and territory education ministers and the Independent Schools Association, seeking nominations from their jurisdictions for schools which may be eligible for funding. Once we have had these nominations, the candidates will be able to apply for funding grants before being assessed, and the successful applicants will be announced. Clearly, that is going to have to be a competitive program. We are going to make sure that we cover the risks as we assess them, and we will be making sure that that money goes as far as possible to secure the school environment for the independent schools that are legitimately concerned about being at risk.

Because the member for Higgins was kind enough to ask that question, I will note that the King David School has already been a successful recipient of funding in previous rounds—almost $1 million under three grants went to the King David School—and I appreciate the contribution that that school does make to her electorate. I look forward to working with Jewish schools but also with other independent schools in being able to announce the successful recipients of the funding program in the 2014-15 financial year.

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