Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Acting Deputy President. 'Children should never be subjected to any form of pressure or indoctrination while they were in a government school.' 'Children are being forced into classes that do not reflect the values of their parents.' 'We want to make public schools safe places for parents who don't want their children indoctrinated.' 'The wishes of parents should not be compromised.' Guess where those quotes came from? Who would have thought? That is the New South Wales Greens quoting about indoctrination in schools. But judging by these comments, the Greens are against any form of pressure or indoctrination unless it is what they endorse. They want religion removed from schools unless it is their type of religious proselytising. They are against any pressure when it is an issue that they do not agree with, but they seem to have no problem with the pressure being applied to our children through the Safe Schools Coalition. Such hypocrisy is mind-boggling, but not unknown, from the political left.

Some will argue none of this really matters because the Safe Schools materials are voluntary. But by 2019 government schools in Victoria will be forced to join this program, and the pressure on other schools is increasing.

How long before independent and religious schools are forced to adopt the teachings that have already permeated our public school system? It is a valid question. We are seeing Catholic bishops being taken to the anti-discrimination commission for promoting Catholic thought and teaching. We are seeing concerted efforts to stop religious schools hiring teachers who do not share the same faith. So it is reasonable to ask: what attack is next for these schools? The Safe Schools Coalition goes beyond simply seeking to make schools safer places. It promotes a radical political and social agenda and seeks to indoctrinate students to make them its advocates.