Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It's a great privilege to be able to speak on this important motion celebrating the bicentenary of Catholic education in Australia. I in the Goldstein electorate, like members across the Chamber, I'm sure, have many Catholic schools that are immensely proud of their contribution as part of the enrichment and wellbeing of the education of the next generation of Australians. I personally did not go to a Catholic school. My husband did and was educated all the way through, including in tertiary education at the Australian Catholic University. But it is the proud tradition and stewardship of young minds, creating opportunities and driving a sense of social justice through empowerment in the Catholic tradition that we should celebrate, because that is what so many Australians look for in their education system. Yes, it is obviously to educate the next generation of minds, but it is to ensure that they are embodied and educated in a fullness and richness in values and, in some cases, in a spiritual tradition which reflects their values. Being Liberals, that goes to the heart of our approach to education.

We have always believed in choice of education not just because we believe in things like competition and what it can do to improve and lift standards so that kids get a better outcome—though that is also true—but because we respect the choice of parents to be able to make decisions to educate their children in their religious and cultural traditions that reflect their aspirations and their hopes. We should be immensely proud of the role that the Catholic education system has played in that story, because it's the story of our nation and how it was built.

The first Catholic school, which Catholic historians believe was in Hunter Street in Parramatta and taught 31 students, was founded in October 1820 by Irish Catholic priest John Terry. It's from these foundations that the Catholic education system has grown to the second-biggest provider of schools based education after government schools. Of course, it's not just the Liberal support for the Catholic education system that has been consistent around all that time around freedom of choice; Liberals have been central to universal education as part of the story of the history of our country as well. Of course, that was most seminal in the second half of the 20th century, where it became a great contest of ideas between the different sides, not just of this Chamber, around attitudes between freedom, choice and responsibility in the Liberal tradition and conformity imposed under the socialist tradition.

One of the big fights that the Menzies government had was in introducing limited federal funding for non-government schools through the passing of the States Grants Act, which provided grants for science laboratories and equipment to both government and non-government secondary schools without discrimination. This, of course, led many of those who wanted conformity within our society finding it very difficult, because they thought it was an attack on government schools. But we have always been believers in lifting all boats and giving people more choice. That is the very definition of 'empowerment' from the Liberal tradition, something we're immensely proud of. We know that that became something that our political opponents opposed. We're very proud of that tradition. We continue to be proud of it, and we will continue to be proud of it into the future.

Of course, Commonwealth funding of Catholic schools began formally from 1970 under the Gorton and McMahon governments. In 1973 we saw a needs based model for non-government schools introduced by the Whitlam government because they saw through harsh lessons of history the role it can play. But today we're very proud to continue our support for Catholic education.

In the Goldstein electorate we have many schools—and I understand these names are from last year—including Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, with principal Anne O'Loughlin and chair of the board Sandra Diafas; Sacred Heart Parish School, with principal Erin Macdonald; St Agnes', with principal Lachlan Foott and chair of the board Myles Whelan; St Finbar's, with principal Pat Berlingeri and chair of the board Kate MacKenzie; St James, with principal Brendan Flanagan and chair of the board Father Martin Dixon; St Joan of Arc School, with principal Tony McMahon and chair of the board David Murray; St Joseph's School, with principal Liam Buckley and chair of the board Melanie Leydin; St Kevin's, with principal Nigel Rodrigues; St Mary's, with principal Matthew Sweeney and chair of the board Paula Cunniffe; St Paul's School, with principal Catherine Tammesild and chair of the board Meghan Speers; Star of the Sea College, with principal Mary O'Connor and chair of the board Lisa Dwyer; Stella Maris, with principal Yvan Frederic; and Xavier College's Kostka Hall, which, of course, is in its sunset, with head of the campus Kathleen Upfold and chair of the board Mr Tony Nunan. We thank you for your service.

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