Judith Adams (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It gives me great pleasure to rise to speak on this issue. To take up from where Senator Forshaw left off, the slow take-up in regional areas: the only reason there has been a slow take-up is that a number of these schools have not been able to get funding. Coming from a small rural community I have been very involved with the chaplaincy at the Kojonup Senior High School. Mrs Julie Sullivan has been our chaplain there for 7½ years. She is a very dedicated woman. She has rung me on several occasions asking, ‘Do you think this program is going to continue?’ So, as far as the school goes, it has to look forward and see whether its programs are going to go on. As far as this particular program is concerned, Mrs Sullivan works three days a week. She deals with children who have experienced grief, maybe the death of someone close, separation and divorce. In a rural area, unfortunately we have very little access to youth workers or psychologists, so these chaplains really do play a very wide role in what they do with the children. The chaplain is neutral and the children feel comfortable talking to them, whereas perhaps there are issues that they cannot raise straight away with their own families. As far as the chaplaincy program goes, it is probably even more important that rural and regional schools have access to this program than those in the cities, because often they have access to health professionals, whereas our children do not.

The local church communities actually pay 30 per cent of Mrs Sullivan’s salary to boost it. They fundraise to do that. Having been involved in a number of their fundraising activities, I know that the whole community gets behind this program. It is a community of 2,000 people, but that school chaplain is probably one of the most important people in our community. She is highly regarded. Some of the issues she has to deal with are quite horrific. But I really do admire the work that she does. I just wanted to give an example of someone in a small rural community who can influence the community in the way that she does.

I really do applaud my colleagues Senator Mason and Senator Barnett for the motion they put forward. It was passed here in this place. I would urge the Rudd government, if they are doing their review, to look at it very widely and also to perhaps do a review in the rural and regional areas of Australia. I am sure that my home town of Kojonup, in Western Australia, is not alone as far as trying to retain a chaplain. To lose Mrs Sullivan would be tragic for our community, because there is no-one else there to take her place. It is essential that we are able to continue to fund this program.

As far as the former coalition government’s commitment goes, that was a commitment of $165 million over the first three years, and I know that with a number of these three-year programs it is absolutely devastating when you cannot get recurrent funding for them. But this is a program that has proved itself. I do not think it needs too much of a review, and I would urge the Rudd government to continue to support it. Our children face so many challenges these days; it is very, very difficult. The drug problem seems to be escalating and it is affecting younger and younger children. The chaplains can deal with this problem and other problems. They can cope with the bullying problem and the mental health issues. They are able to refer these children on to the correct place, and they really are a terrific support to rural families.

Question agreed to.