Nicola Roxon (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to present a Bill for an Act to establish the Australian National Preventive Health Agency, and for related purposes.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to present a Bill for an Act to amend the law relating to social security, veterans’ affairs and higher education, and for related purposes.

Don Randall (Canning, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Energy and Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to move:

That the House:

(1)

notes that in 2007, the Coalition Government initiated the National Schools Chaplaincy Program (NSCP);

(2)

acknowledges the important role of school chaplains in supporting the personal, spiritual and emotional wellbeing of students at schools throughout Australia;

(3)

recognises that school chaplains provide essential services to students of all ages, staff and the wider school community, assisting them resolve emotional, social and everyday issues and build relationships;

(4)

notes that the Government’s failure to renew existing contracts awarded under the NSCP will impact student welfare, personal and academic development and place additional pressure on school resources; and

(5)

calls on the Government to:

(a)

extend the NSCP beyond the life of the existing contracts due to expire in 2010;

(b)

support an extension of the program to make chaplains available to more schools; and

(c)

acknowledge that failing to renew funding for this widely accessed service will disadvantage students.