Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Mason for his question. Senator Mason would know the truth in regard to this matter. He would know that this was a program which was commenced by the previous government. They provided $165 million for a program that was to run for three years. One hundred and sixty-five million dollars over three years was to be made available to Australian school communities to assist in the provision of chaplaincy services. It was for only three years. We now hear this claim that there should be a program that goes indefinitely. That is not what the previous government decided. That is not what the Howard government decided. The Howard government decided that this program should go for only three years and advised schools accordingly. That is why it provided for the program to run for three years. As a consequence, we now have a situation where some 2,700 schools have received funding, and the funding to those schools was scheduled to end in mid-2010. That was the decision of the previous government: to end the program in 2010.

The Rudd Labor government has expressed its determination to ensure that schools are supported in providing for the wellbeing of their students, and it has acknowledged that the National School Chaplaincy Program has been an effective way to assist schools in achieving this important goal. So on 21 November the Prime Minister—Prime Minister Rudd—announced that an additional— (Time expired)