Andrew Laming (Bowman, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Would the minister update the House on the reaction to attempts to ban Bibles in Queensland public hospitals and elsewhere? Minister, what is the government’s response?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Bowman for his question. I regret to inform the House that over the past few months the half-century-old practice of placing Bibles by hospital bedsides has ceased in large numbers of public hospitals in Queensland and Victoria. I quote again a spokesman from the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Victoria. He said they did not have Bibles in each room anymore:

Because we have so many people from different religious backgrounds it is considered inappropriate. It is also an infection-control measure.

I am not for a second saying that director-generals or health ministers in those states are responsible for the Bible ban. I would be quite confident that the Bible ban is the result of overzealous local officials terrified of appearing culturally insensitive. For that reason, I would respectfully refer any such officials to a very intelligent letter from Mr Michael Choi, who is the Labor member for Capalaba in the Queensland state parliament. The letter appeared yesterday in a Queensland local paper. It read:

Tens of thousands of patients find the bedside bible a source of comfort, particularly in times of difficulty, and their families often use it when they visit them.

He went on:

I have been an active participant of the multicultural communities in the last 20 years and not once have I heard complaints about people’s freedom of religion being violated in hospitals and offence taken because of bedside bibles.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is nothing to do with that!

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Lalor.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Michael Choi, the Labor member, goes on:

This is exactly the type of issue that gives multiculturalism a bad name.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Gillard interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Lalor is warned!

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He goes on:

I would have thought visitors brought more germs to the hospital on their hands, their clothing and their shoes, as they walked past numerous patients, not to mention numerous magazines and newspapers available at some hospitals.

I agree with Michael Choi, the state Labor member for Capalaba. This Bible ban is objectionable and should be withdrawn. It would take only a few words from the Victorian and the Queensland health ministers to overturn this ban. I respectfully suggest that they utter those few words. They should allow Bibles back to the bedside and they should allow this worthy, traditional practice to continue.