Attack on student safety and anti-discrimination has no place in Tasmania

• Schools need to remain supportive and inclusive for all students
• Tasmania’s strong anti-discrimination safeguards should be protected
A public address tonight by conservative Liberal MP Kevin Andrews should not be allowed to descend into an attack on Tasmania’s hard-fought anti-discrimination protections and the safety of all children in school grounds.
Shadow Education Minister Michelle O’Byrne said after Mr Andrews yesterday wrote an extraordinary rant focused on “cultural Marxism” which included his strong opposition to programs such as Safe Schools, it was clear what the thrust of his address in Hobart tonight entitled Education on Gender and Sexuality would be.
“The so-called Safe Schools program which has been used in some Tasmanian schools is a recent example of this assault on the family and parental rights and an illustration of the cultural forces aligned against families and parents.” Kevin Andrews, The Mercury, June 4
“Mr Andrews is of course entitled to his personal views but it should be made clear to him that attacking the rights of students and their families has no place in Tasmania,” Ms O’Byrne said.
“If his lecture tonight is about trying to allow people to discriminate on gender and sexuality, it’s concerning that he is trying to bring this message out of the dark ages back on to the stage in Tasmania.
“Knowing that Mr Andrews has in the past campaigned strongly against programs such as Safe Schools, he needs to understand that Tasmania enjoys some of the strongest anti-discrimination protections in the country and changes to those laws were voted down by the Tasmanian Parliament last year.”
Michelle O’Byrne MP Shadow Minister for Education and Early years 5 June 2018