Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tonight I would like to talk about the Safe Schools Coalition. I have to say at the outset that I am no longer surprised about comments that Senator Bernardi and Senator Abetz may make in this area, but I am, and many people in the Australian community may be, to think that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has shown himself to be beholden to the ultraconservative element within his party.

Having said that, it takes more than words to win over a community, and what we have seen, by Mr Turnbull's actions in regard to the Safe Schools Coalition, is that his actions are left wanting. In requesting an investigation into the safe schools program—a program aimed at helping lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex school students—Mr Turnbull has shown just how weak he is. He is bowing to the most conservative members of his party. But then you have to wonder whether these actions are his very own. I hear, all the time, people saying of Mr Turnbull that they expect more. His language is different—what he is saying is different—but his actions are not, and, in respect of the Safe Schools Coalition's program, they are leaving very vulnerable students dismayed.

I was disappointed when I heard about the review, I was appalled when I heard about the review and I was angered when I heard about the review, because Mr Turnbull, apparently, is willing to sacrifice what he says are his own principles and beliefs to become Prime Minister. Now it seems he is willing to sacrifice the wellbeing of young LGBTI Australians—people who may once have seen Mr Turnbull as a beacon of hope within the Liberal Party.

This is not simply a matter of the government being out of step and promoting an out-of-date view. It is a matter of the government perpetrating dangerous views that have the potential to have devastating impacts on the lives of young LGBTI Australians. What we are talking about here is a program that works to ensure schools are safe environments for young people who are same-sex attracted or gender diverse. The Safe Schools Coalition is supported by organisations across the nation, including the Australian Secondary Principals Association, the Australian Council of State School Organisations, the Australian Education Union, beyondblue and headspace.

It seems like a simple idea: schools should be safe and affirming environments for all students. School can be a difficult time for even the most certain and confident children and young people. For same-sex-attracted and gender-diverse students it can be even harder. Researchers has found that school based inclusion or antibullying policies can have a direct impact on same-sex-attracted students' health and wellbeing. Research has also found 61 per cent of same-sex-attracted or gender-diverse young people in Australia have experienced verbal abuse, and 18 per cent have experienced physical abuse. The same research has found that 80 per cent of homophobic and transphobic incidents take place in schools. Or perhaps we should look at the survey that found that just one in five same-sex-attracted and gender-diverse students attend a school where they feel supported.

Research also shows that same-sex-attracted and gender-diverse students who do not feel safe at school have lower self-esteem and higher rates of absenteeism. Their grades suffer and so does their mental health. Most tragically, they suffer higher rates of suicide. Beyondblue have said that 81 per cent of same-sex-attracted and gender-diverse young people who have experienced abuse or discrimination have thought about suicide and 37 per cent have made suicide attempts, and about 80 per cent have thought about self-harm and 70 per cent have harmed themselves. (Time expired)