Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Education, Science and Training. Would the minister update the House on today’s Australian History Summit? Is the minister aware of any views being expressed that the teaching of Australian history is not important?

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Mackellar for her question and acknowledge her interest in the teaching of Australian history in our schools. I can report to the House that the Prime Minister opened the Australian History Summit today in Parliament House. There are 23 participants in this summit, ranging from eminent historians and teachers to educators and curriculum developers. The summit participants will be providing advice to the Australian government on how we can strengthen the teaching of Australian history in our schools.

During the opening this morning, the Prime Minister announced that the Australian government will be contributing $100,000 annually for a Prime Minister’s Australian history prize. This substantial amount will be for a substantial work: a book, a film or a documentary. As it is an annual prize, we hope that it will attract not only historians and teachers but also the broader community. This prize highlights the government’s commitment to ensuring that Australian history is taught, and taught properly, in our schools. The member for Mackellar asks me if there are other views. This morning the member for Lilley, referring to the Australian History Summit, said it was ‘all about spreading mass confusion’.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He didn’t say that, did he?

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am afraid so, Prime Minister—that is what the member for Lilley said. It seems that the only confusion on this issue is in fact on the Labor side of the House. A few months ago, it was reported in the Canberra Times that ‘students needed to be taught the narrative history of this country .’ The Prime Minister could have said that, but indeed it was the Leader of the Opposition who said that. A few months ago the Leader of the Opposition was saying that students needed to be taught the narrative history of this country and yet, a few months later, Beazley was ‘against the history revival’ and in fact dismissed the teaching of traditional Australian history in schools as an ‘elite preoccupation’. So while there is clearly confusion on the part of the Leader of the Opposition—and the Australian public are entitled to be confused about where he stands on this and many other issues—I can assure Australian parents that I will be listening to the advice from the summit participants and that I will be working with education authorities to ensure that the teaching of Australian history takes its rightful place in Australian schools.