Sam Dastyari (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. Does the Prime Minister agree with the Minister for Education, Senator Birmingham, that the Safe Schools program has 'perfectly reasonable objectives', and does the Prime Minister also agree with Senator Scott Ryan who, when launching the Safe Schools symposium, said, 'Every student has a right to feel safe at school'?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Dastyari, I am sure the Prime Minister agrees with both of those eminently sensible propositions, as do I. Of course both of those propositions are sensible and all members of the government would be glad to be associated with them.

Sam Dastyari (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Considering the Prime Minister supports those eminently sensible statements, does the Prime Minister also then agree with Senator Bernardi that the Safe Schools program, 'Encourages children to become advocates for the homosexual cause'?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Dastyari, I have not seen Senator Bernardi's statement to that effect, so I am not going to comment on a statement I have not seen. I think people are entitled, in good faith, to make comments and criticisms of the design of any government program, and no member of the government has asserted that the Safe Schools program is perfect in its design. But the proposition, which all members of the government support, is that a government program to deal with the question of bullying, particularly bullying of people on the grounds of their sexuality and particularly of children at schools on the grounds of sexuality or gender identity, is a good thing.

Sam Dastyari (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Is the Prime Minister aware that a beyondblue study has found that 70 per cent of same-sex-attracted and gender-diverse people, who have experienced abuse or discrimination, have harmed themselves? Why is the Prime Minister putting the interests of young Australians behind the political interests of conservative hardliners in his own party?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Dastyari, I thought your first two questions—if I may say so—seemed like reasonable inquires, but the innuendo you make against the Prime Minister at the end of your second supplementary question is absolutely disgraceful. There are no two people in this parliament who have done more to protect Australian children from the effects of homophobic bullying than the Prime Minister and the Minister for Education, Senator Birmingham. For you to impeach either of them is disgraceful.

Robert Simms (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister for Education and Training, Senator Birmingham. I refer to the comments made by your colleague Senator Bernardi in the media yesterday, where he said, 'Schools should be places of learning, not indoctrination'. In response the Prime Minister ordered an investigation into the Safe Schools program, a program that is not about indoctrination, but rather about supporting LGBTI young people and preventing bullying. If the government is so serious about ending indoctrination in schools, will it be conducting an investigation into its multimillion dollar chaplain program that has the effect of promoting one particular religious perspective over others?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think there are a number of elements to that question, many of which are incorrect in their assumptions. It is of course completely correct that schools should primarily be places of learning. It is essential that schools be effective places of learning, that students feel safe in those schools and that students are supported in those schools. They are the objectives of the Safe Schools program and a number of other initiatives that the government support to help students in those environments, and what we want to do is make sure that those objectives are being met.

Senator Dastyari, you tried to extrapolate your own view in relation to the School Chaplaincy Program. It is very clear that proselytising in schools is not permitted under the School Chaplaincy Program. The guidelines for that program are crystal clear in that regard. In fact, it is another complementary measure that helps to support school environments to provide assistance to students, particularly students who may be at risk of bullying for all manner of reasons. All of these measures should be looked at as measures to make school environments safe places of learning.

Robert Simms (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. In light of the public backlash against the Prime Minister's captain's call on Safe Schools—indeed, a petition from the Greens already has 10,000 signatures to support the program—will the government drop this pointless investigation and instead focus on how it can support LGBTI young people and promote safety in our nation's schools?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would hope that, at the end of what will be a fairly quick process, we can all have confidence that this Safe Schools program is meeting its objectives, that the content of the resources that are produced under this program is age appropriate and that it is in accordance with the national curriculum; and, most importantly, that parents and school communities are aware of the resources that are being used and have confidence in the resources that are being used in those schools. I think that is what is important: to ensure we have that degree of confidence that the objectives of this program—which I think, Senator Simms, you and I and, I trust, every member of this chamber, as Senator Brandis rightly said, share support for—to ensure tolerance in schools are being met and are being met effectively and that everybody has confidence that that is in fact the case.

Robert Simms (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. My final question is a matter of clarification. Can the minister clarify who precisely is in charge of the government? Is it Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull or is it Senator Cory Bernardi or is it former prime minister Tony Abbott? Who is running this show?

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Simms, your final supplementary question was not strictly a supplementary question. I invite the minister to answer any portion of that that he wishes to.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What a pathetic and juvenile question that was—a pathetic and juvenile question that belongs somewhere back in your university politics days, Senator Simms. This is an important issue. It is an issue that is too important for you to play such cheap games with. You can have no doubt that I am committed, Prime Minister Turnbull is committed and the government is committed to ensuring this program meets its objectives, meets its objectives in an effective manner and, in meeting those objectives, provides the resources and support to schools across Australia to ensure that they are able to support students, whatever their challenges may be, to operate in a safe learning environment. Frankly, I think the discussion and debate on this program deserves far more respect than the type of question you just asked, Senator Simms.