REPORT ON PROCEEDINGS BEFORE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE NO. 3 – EDUCATION EDUCATION LEGISLATION AMENDMENT (PARENTAL RIGHTS) BILL 2020 CORRECTED At Macquarie Room, Parliament House, Sydney, on Tuesday, 20 April 2021 The Committee met at 9:30. PRESENT The Hon. Mark Latham (Chair) The Hon. Anthony D'Adam The Hon. Wes Fang The Hon. Scott Farlow The Hon. Courtney Houssos The Hon. Matthew Mason-Cox (Deputy Chair) Mr David Shoebridge Tuesday, 20 April 2021 Legislative Council Page 1 The CHAIR: Welcome to the first hearing of Portfolio Committee No. 3 – Education, and its inquiry into the Education Legislation Amendment (Parental Rights) Bill 2020. Before I commence it is the custom of this Parliament to acknowledge the traditional inhabitants of this land, the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. I do that with all due respect as well as acknowledging other important contributors to the history of this site, those who constructed the Parliament House building, very often working in a dangerous industry, and the parliamentary staff over many decades who have supported members of Parliament and made their work in a representative role possible. We acknowledge and thank them all. Today the Committee will hear from a number of organisations, including faith-based groups, social policy think tanks, human rights and civil liberty organisations and gay, lesbian and transgender lobby groups. [Interruption from public gallery] (Short adjournment) The CHAIR: I believe I was mentioning gay, lesbian and transgender lobby groups, who have certainly made their presence felt. While we have many witnesses with us in person, some will be appearing by via videoconference today. I thank everyone for making time to give evidence to this important inquiry. Before we commence, I would like to make some brief comments about the procedures for today's hearing. Today's hearing is being broadcast live on the Parliament's website. A transcript of today's hearing will be placed on the Committee's website when it becomes available. In accordance with the broadcast guidelines, media representatives are reminded they must take responsibility for what they publish about the Committee's proceedings. While parliamentary privilege applies to witnesses giving evidence today, it does not apply to what witnesses say outside of their evidence at the hearing. I therefore urge witnesses to be careful about any comments they may make to the media or to others after they complete their evidence. Committee hearings are not intended to provide a forum for people to make adverse reflections about others under the protection of parliamentary privilege. In that regard it is important that witnesses focus on the issues raised by the terms of reference of the inquiry and avoid naming individuals unnecessarily. All witnesses have a right to procedural fairness, according to the procedural fairness resolution adopted by the House in 2018. If witnesses are unable to answer a question today, and want more time to respond, they can take a question on notice. Written answers to questions taken on notice are to be provided within 21 days. If witnesses wish to hand up documents they should do so through the Committee staff. In terms of the audibility of the hearing today, I remind both Committee members and witnesses to speak into the microphone. A number of witnesses are appearing in person or via video conference. It may be helpful to identify to whom questions are directed and who is speaking. For those with hearing difficulties who are present in the room today, please note that the room is fitted with induction loops compatible with hearing aid systems that have TeleCoil receivers. I also remind spectators in the public gallery, that today's hearing is not an opportunity for uninvited comment from the floor—I did not get to that earlier on when it was much needed. Audience interruptions are not recorded in the transcript, and make it difficult for witnesses to communicate with the Committee. Finally, will everyone please turn off their mobile phones or set them to silent for the duration of the hearing, and will those who are participating via videoconference please mute their microphones when they are not speaking? PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE NO. 3 – EDUCATION Tuesday, 20 April 2021 Legislative Council Page 2 GREG BONDAR, NSW/ACT Director, FamilyVoice Australia, sworn and examined ANDREW WALL, National Political Director, Australian Christian Lobby, sworn and examined NIKKI ABEN, NSW Coordinator, Australian Christian Lobby, sworn and examined The Hon. WES FANG: I want to make a declaration. Mr Bondar and I used to work together at Child Flight when I was a pilot and he was the chief executive officer quite a number of years ago. I know Mr Bondar pretty well but in another capacity. The CHAIR: I thank you for your attendance today and for participating in this inquiry. I also thank you for your submissions. Time is available for you to make a short statement which we ask that you keep to a few minutes or you may wish to go straight to questions from Committee members, given the very detailed nature of your submissions. Mr BONDAR: I thank you, Mr Chair, and the Committee for giving Family Voice the opportunity to appear here and to further expand on its submission, as short as it is. I come here as an advocate for family, freedom and faith from our organisations. I speak as a former educator, a parent and now a grandparent as of last year. It is very important to have our voices heard in terms of the current bill before this Committee. May I say that FamilyVoice is deeply concerned that parents are gradually losing the freedom to properly guide their children, especially in regard to gender identity. One only has to look at the recent events around the country to see that legislation is now disempowering ordinary mums and dads who want to have a say in the education of their children. I have to tell the Committee that the education culture currently is promoting gender confusion, not clarity. It is disallowing parents to be engaged and does not allow them to help their children to grow up. Parents are now being isolated. Schools are disenfranchising parents from the curriculum. Schools are failing to provide concerned parents appropriate forums and discussion opportunities for curriculum development. I have to tell you, Mr Chairman—I have just looked recently—that Australia has been ranked 39 out of 41 high middle-income countries in achieving quality education, according to the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF. This raises a serious flag for children's learning and development which significantly impacts their chances in life. I am very surprised, Mr Chairman, that education is starting to be about gender fluidity instead of addressing the real issues of education, dyslexia, drugs and alcohol, disadvantaged kids, illiteracy, remote and isolated kids, Indigenous kids and the basic reading, writing and arithmetic, not to mention sport, which help in the development of every child. Mr Chairman, I thank you and the Committee once again for giving FamilyVoice the opportunity to be present and to answer any questions as required. Ms ABEN: Good morning, everyone, and thank you, Chair. With more than 190 supporters nationally the Australian Christian Lobby [ACL] facilitates professional engagement and dialogue within the Christian constituency and government, allowing the voice of Christians to be heard in the public square. We have close to 40,000 supporters in New South Wales. The Australian Christian Lobby supports the bill. It enacts suitable and robust protections to recognise the right of parents in their children's education and to mandate that education of children to be ideology free. Parents enrol their children into schools to be equipped in order that they would be better contributors in society. When parents entrust their children into the hands of teachers, they are trusting them to teach them the basic foundations of knowledge. It gives the chance to children to acquire knowledge on various fields of education such as literature, history, mathematics, science and other numerous subjects. This authority is limited. Schools should not pursue goals of transformation of children in respect of ethical and moral behaviour. Such education starts at home and should be primarily carried out by parents or in consultation with parents. The parental primacy bill ensures that parents have primary responsibility and authority in the moral formation of their children. The parents in the communities that I have engaged with work very hard for their children's provision and their children's future. It should be their right to have the primacy of educating their children. I will finish my opening statement by quoting the Hon. Sarah Mitchell, Minister for Education. She said: The reality is that instilling values sets and encouraging positions on social and political issues is not the job of schools. It is the job of parents. The CHAIR: I will start the questioning with Mr Bondar. You mention in your submission that you are a former high school teacher. You also make commentary about the NSW Teachers Federation and their role in this debate, as you experienced as a teacher and subsequently. How influential is the Teachers Federation in distributing those guides that you can find openly on their website—the All Of Us Safe Schools Coalition guides for years seven and eight, National Safe Schools Framework and a series of Safe Schools information kits also PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE NO. 3 – EDUCATION Tuesday, 20 April 2021 Legislative Council Page 3 written by Roz Ward? This is what the union makes available to each and every one of its members in New South Wales in this debate about gender and sexuality, and furthermore its webinar—supposedly professional development—on 4 August 2020 undertaken by training officer Mel Smith.