Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Here we go again—a third attempt by Senator Bob Brown to get an inquiry into the Exclusive Brethren. An attempt was made by Senator Brown two years and 12 days ago on 15 August 2006. Nothing has changed except that Senator Brown is two years older but, unfortunately, none the wiser. The same hyperbole and vilification of yesterday’s speech by Senator Brown is contained in the Hansard of 15 August 2006. Many words, but no evidence. Senator Brown makes the same old points with a now decidedly worn out record playing the same old tune.

The coalition’s position on this is straightforward and principled. If there are allegations of wrongdoing, report them to the appropriate authorities. Other than that, within the laws of this country people are entitled to live their lives as they deem appropriate. And they are entitled to do so even if we disagree with them. As I have said before in this place, I doubt if anyone in this chamber would subscribe to the Exclusive Brethren approach to life. But no-one has shown any illegality by them and, if there is, report it to the authorities. Other than that, let them be.

It is instructive to learn that allegations have been made to the authorities and the Australian Federal Police, and dismissed. There is still one allegation being considered although no allegation of wrongdoing so far has been determined. My view is, and the coalition’s view is, let the cards fall where they will. If wrongdoing is found, let the law deal with those involved. But to suggest that the behaviour of one or two members of a group requires a full inquiry into the whole group is, I must say, stretching credulity.

But we do have a bizarre conspiracy theory in Senator Brown’s speech yesterday. He told the Senate:

I think the Senate has every right to ask why ... the Australian Federal Police have not completed that inquiry and reported publicly.

Hello? Are the Australian Federal Police now involved in this huge conspiracy as well? You know what? The Senate does not have to ask that question. Senator Brown of his own volition can ask that question by—and this might be a unique experience for him—turning up to Senate estimates and asking the Australian Federal Police about this inquiry, how it is going, et cetera. That is open to every single individual senator in this place if they have a concern that the Australian Federal Police are being tardy. I would invite Senator Brown to take that course of action if he actually believes that the Australian Federal Police are somehow conspiring on the side of the Exclusive Brethren. But Senators Brown and Milne provide no evidence for their assertions that would support an inquiry.

One of their interesting allegations is that the Exclusive Brethren do not allow computers in their schools and actively discourage children from learning how to use computers. I do not know if that is the case but if that is the case I would say, as would the coalition, that is a matter of great regret. But ultimately the standards, curriculum and other requirements for all schools, and their registration, which of course is the precursor to funding, are vetted and administered by the eight state and territory Labor governments and their education departments. So now we have the eight Labor states and territories also involved in this conspiracy in providing funding to the Exclusive Brethren—no longer just Mr Howard’s former office, no longer the Australian Federal Police; now the eight Labor state and territory governments are apparently involved as well.

From the coalition point of view there are simply standards that apply to every single school and, if any Exclusive Brethren school falls within the categories, if they qualify for funding, then they should get funding. If they do not qualify according to the standards then they should not get funding. At the end of the day this is an issue of whether the standards are appropriate for the various schools but there is no specific category that says that only Exclusive Brethren schools will get this sort of funding. They are not mentioned by name. There is a broader category in each of the states and territories which determines whether or not a school is to receive funding.

But back to the computers, because Senator Brown relied on that in his speech yesterday—and, very interestingly, I note that Mr Rudd seems to have relied on it when just before the election he tried to jump on the bandwagon. Senator Brown quoted:

The Exclusive Brethren ... actively discourages children from using information technology, from learning how to use computers—

As I said before, if that is the case that is to be regretted and I do not think that they do their children any favours by such a policy.

I think that a number of senators would have received a copy of this letter today. It is by the federal member for Griffith who also happens to rejoice in the title of Prime Minister of this country. It is a letter dated 31 May 2007 addressed to a Mr Greg Thomas, principal of Agnew School, which I understand is in fact an Exclusive Brethren school. In it—and his familiarity with the principal is quite clear because it starts ‘Dear Greg’; it does not say ‘Dear Principal’ or ‘Dear Mr Thomas’—he says:

I am pleased to inform you that—

under the Investing in our Schools program—

the application tendered by Agnew School ... has been successful.

And guess what it was for: the provision of wordex machines and computers. Mr Rudd goes on:

I would like to extend my warmest congratulations ...

So here we have proof positive that Exclusive Brethren schools do seem to take computers on board. If this is all fictitious, then could I suggest that Senator Brown go to the education Senate estimates and asks the department whether there is verification that those computers have been delivered et cetera.

Some of these allegations on closer examination clearly do not stand up to scrutiny. Indeed the federal minister for education, Julia Gillard, has written to the Independent member for New England, Mr Tony Windsor—and undoubtedly he is now part of the conspiracy as well, as is Ms Gillard of course by this. She says in a letter to Mr Windsor, dated 16 April 2008:

I can confirm that the Meadowbank Education Trust School—

which I understand is an Exclusive Brethren school—

and its subsidiary campuses are being funded in accordance with the Act and that it continues to meet the conditions associated with the current funding agreement and its legal obligations.

If the Greens senators have information that can contradict that which Ms Gillard has written to the Independent member for New England, let them bring it forward, let them mention it at Senate estimates, and let us have a proper analysis of these matters.

I move on to the other matters that have been raised, and that is Senator Brown’s request for a 15-page document to be put into Hansard. I say to Senator Brown and the Greens: if the information in that document is to be incorporated into Hansard, there is nothing stopping the Australian Greens from actually reading the information contained in that document and putting that onto the Hansard. But by giving leave, every individual senator in this place would be vouching for that information and allowing it to have privilege. There is nothing stopping Senator Brown from reading it into the Hansard and, if he so wants, he can do so. But the coalition does not want to be part of a process which would say, and allow Senator Brown to say, ‘I tried to put it into Hansard and, guess what: nobody objected so therefore it has the imprimatur of the totality of the Senate.’ In relation to that 15-page document, there was a letter written to the Prime Minister—