Lyn Allison (Victoria, Australian Democrats) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Vanstone, Minister representing the Minister for Education, Science and Training. I refer to the minister’s announcement at the weekend that the government will fund school chaplains. Will school chaplains be encouraging young people to take on particular religions? Will schools that are already religious schools get the money too? And will the funding also be available to schools where the school itself decides that a general counsellor better suits the needs of its students?

Amanda Vanstone (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator, I am sorry; I have had a look at the briefs in this area and there is none in relation to this announcement on the weekend. I am sorry about that. I will get an answer from the minister and give it to you.

Lyn Allison (Victoria, Australian Democrats) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I ask Senator Vanstone to also ask the minister: school chaplains provide Bible instruction and worship services, pray with students and provide religious education classes. In some schools, I understand they provide instruction classes for confirmation, assist with communion and so on. Are these the activities the government wants to fund rather than funding teachers to provide literacy and numeracy programs, for instance, or physical education, nutrition education, sex education to reduce teenage pregnancies or indeed career counselling?

Amanda Vanstone (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am happy to take that on notice. But I would ask you to consider, Mr President, whether you can in fact ask a supplementary after an answer that simply says, ‘I’ll take it on notice,’ because it cannot possibly arise out of the answer.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I believe the supplementary, Minister, was adding to the original question, and I just hope that you can get all the answers for the senator.