Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This afternoon, I'm calling for the New South Wales year 10 history textbook called Pearson History New South Wales 10, SB, to be withdrawn from all New South Wales schools. This textbook contains significant errors of fact, and there are many sections of it that are little more than green alarmism masquerading as history.

I'll give a few examples. On page 115 it states: 'Climate change is noticeable in Australia, with more frequent extreme weather events.' However, the most authoritative conclusion, by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, says that it is not even clear whether floods have increased or decreased over the past century. If we look at cyclones, clearly the peer-reviewed science is that they are declining in Australia. If we look at fires on a global scale, again the peer-reviewed science says that they are declining. It doesn't stop there.

Another quote from this history textbook that year 10 students in New South Wales are taught from: 'Prime Minister Tony Abbott made international headlines as a climate change denier.' The 'denial' smear, calling someone a climate change denier, is a reprehensible method to attempt to discredit anyone who questions any aspect of climate change dogma, likening them to Holocaust deniers. Further, the words 'made international headlines' gives this slur a veiled attempt at legitimacy. What international headlines said Tony Abbott was a climate change denier? Other than perhaps the Socialist International or green-Left blogs, I've not found any such international headline. It appears the author of this textbook simply made it up. This is not good enough to be taught in our schools.

It also says that the government response to climate change is varied. It goes on: 'Prime Minister Julia Gillard introduced a Minerals Resource Rent Tax on the first of July 2012.' Now, that is correct; Prime Minister Gillard did introduce the Minerals Resources Rent Tax—a disaster which had to be repealed—but it had nothing to do with climate change. One only has to read through the second reading speeches to clearly see there is no reference whatsoever. It was simply a tax grab. Again, the author shows that they have no idea what they're talking about. This text is completely unfit. We have an obligation to make sure that our children in our schools are taught the facts about our nation's climate history without political bias. This textbook clearly contains political bias and it should be withdrawn from our schools at the earliest possible opportunity.