Cory Bernardi hits out at program targeting homophobic bullying defended by Education Minister Simon Birmingham

A STOUSH between South Australian Liberal senators over same-sex school schemes erupted in Canberra on Tuesday.

A STOUSH between South Australian Liberal senators over same-sex school schemes erupted in Canberra on Tuesday.

Conservative firebrand Cory Bernardi hit out at a program targeting homophobic bullying, a program Education Minister Simon Birmingham has defended.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull heard from both of them, then asked Senator Birmingham to set up a review of the program and report back to the Liberal party room.

The Safe Schools program aims to create more inclusive schools, but critics say the content is inappropriately sexual and aimed at children who are too young.

A senior Government source said a senator, believed to be Senator Bernardi, was “hostile” to the program and had “expressed concerns that the Safe Schools program was being used to indoctrinate children into a Marxist agenda of cultural relativism” in yesterday’s partyroom.

Six others who spoke against the program were “more nuanced”, the source said, while The Advertiser understands Queensland MP George Christensen spoke about penis tucking and breast binding.

Senator Birmingham is understood to have said that the Coalition would have managed the program “differently” to Labor, which had initiated it.

Senator Bernardi will table a 9500-signature petition calling for funding of the $8 million program to stopped when the contract to providit expires in March. He says the program is “foisting a hypersexualised agenda” on young children.

Senator Cory Bernardi

Senator Simon Birmingham

“They’re intimidating children, they’re bullying children and they’re indoctrinating children into subscribing to a worldview that no 11 year old should be forced to do within our school system,” he said.

“I was heartened by the early recognition of the PM that an anti-bullying agenda needs to be all-encompassing rather than narrow-casting to a tiny subsection of the community.”

Senator Birmingham made the point that there was no room for homophobia, especially in schools. He has previously said the program’s content was “perfectly reasonable” and helped establish a safer culture for lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual children at risk of bullying and mental health issues.

“However, it is essential that all material is age-appropriate and that parents have confidence in any resources used in a school to support the right of all students, staff and families to feel safe at school,” he said.

Almost 500 schools have been taking part in the program over the past three years.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said every child had “the right to go to school in a safe environment”.

“Tony Abbott sacked Cory Bernardi the last time he made offensive comments, and now Malcolm Turnbull gives him his way,” he said.

“It is disgraceful that an Australian child may fall victim to Malcolm Turnbull’s failure to stand up to the right wing of his party.”