Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Universities and Research) Share this | Hansard source

It is really unbelievable that we have a national curriculum being developed to standardise curricula throughout the country and, as you know, the opposition agrees with that in principle. Of that there is no argument. But this is an enormous change to curricula offered to Australian children throughout our country and yet you cannot get a straight answer out of the government to suggest that the perspectives it is weaving through the national curriculum for the apparent benefit of our children are more important than the cross-curriculum perspectives that I just suggested.

The government has never had the courage to do that. Not once. I have never had the minister, either in estimates or in this place, have the courage to stand up and say, 'No, Senator, you are wrong. Indigenous perspectives, a commitment to sustainable patterns of living and an emphasis on Asia and Australia's engagement with the region are more important than the importance of liberal democratic institutions, or the heritage and the impact of a Judaeo-Christian Western tradition, or indeed, the role of science and technology.' No-one on that side has ever had the courage to make that point. Not once, in 18 months.

Mr Pyne and I have prosecuted this case up hill and down dale and not once has anyone on that side ever said, and neither has ACARA, that those cross-curriculum perspectives that have been put to be taught to every kid in this country are more important than the role of science and technology, the Judaeo-Christian ethic and the importance of liberal democratic institutions. We have never had a straight answer from this government in 18 months, and still it cavils and squirms and swerves. You cannot get a sensible answer out of ACARA either, which is to administer this program. It is someone else's responsibility, yet this is the most far-reaching change to curricula this nation has seen since 1901. You cannot get a sensible answer to that question. What does that say about the entire national curriculum when the minister is not even prepared to stand up and say, 'I am proud of these cross-curriculum perspectives because they underpin the new national curriculum.' No-one in the Labor Party is prepared to say the three it has chosen are more important than the three I nominated. It has not happened once in 18 months.