Former Prime Minister John Howard has weighed into the debate over the Safe Schools Coalition.
The 76 year old, former Liberal leader, said he was “baffled” that the anti-bullying program had been approved for use in schools and is taken seriously.
Mr Howard gave an extended interview to SKY News journalist Peter van Onselen and The Australian’s editor at large Paul Kelly.
The interview was published in The Australian and featured on the program ‘Australian Agenda’. This week marks 20 years since the Howard government came to power.
Mr Howard said discussions about sexuality and gender should be undertaken by parents
“According to our culture and our society, those matters should be discussed by parents with their children,’ Mr Howard said.
Mr Howard said he sympathised that bullying is a critical problem for children as well as their parents, but said there are better ways to address it.
‘You don’t need to be pursuing such a social agenda as the document is clearly pursuing in order to deal with bullying,’ Mr Howard said of the Safe Schools Coalition.
The former PM was critical of opposition leader Bill Shorten’s characterisation of backbencher Cory Bernardi as a homophobe.
‘To say that anybody who is alarmed about this ‘Safe Schools’ booklet is a homophobe, really Mr Shorten? You are so out of touch,’ Mr Howard said.
OIP Staff
