Henry Pike (Bowman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yesterday, here in parliament, we launched the Parliamentary Friends of School Chaplaincy group. I know that the benefits of federal investment in school chaplaincy programs are well recognised within this building. Last Friday, I had the pleasure of attending the 21st Redland City Mayoral Prayer Breakfast. It's an event which celebrates and raises funds for the amazing school chaplains who operate across the state schools in the Redlands. Chaplaincy benefits close to 15,000 local students in my community each year. The former coalition government established a deductible gift recipient category to support pastoral care and wellbeing services to students. Sadly, the Albanese government has allowed this DGR status to lapse; from 1 July this year, donations will no longer be tax deductible. This hampers the ability of these groups to fundraise, and it should be reversed.

At the prayer breakfast, the work of our local school chaplains was showcased and honoured. The Pastor Glen Gray Award was this year awarded to Neale Collier, who has been the chappie at Cleveland District State High School for the last 20 years. Neale is a great Australian. Not only has he helped countless students within the Redlands community, but he's also found time to be a driving force behind the Library Project, an initiative of schools across the Redlands to improve education outcomes in Vanuatu.

I want to thank all the amazing chaplains who are working tirelessly across the schools in the Redlands. Your work is greatly appreciated, not just by the students and staff but by the whole community.