Acting Premier James Merlino slams federal government’s ‘cringeworthy’ milkshake consent video

Acting Premier James Merlino has taken aim at the federal government’s widely panned consent video, calling the campaign “a big fail”.

The federal government has been forced to pull two videos from its new $7.8m schools sexual consent program amid wide negative feedback.

The 350 resources on The Good Society website were designed to help teachers and parents educate students about respectful relationships and sexual consent.

Some videos use drinking milkshakes, swimming with sharks and eating pizza and tacos to make serious points about sexual abuse, and have been widely criticised for their clumsy metaphors and inaccurate information.

The materials for older children do not include terms such as sex, rape or assault and the products for younger children rely heavily on overseas YouTube clips.

The Morrison Government's new consent education campaign for schools features a video of a woman smearing a man’s face with a milkshake.

Victorian Education Minister James Merlino called the videos “cringe-worthy” and “a big fail”. He said they wouldn’t be recommended for use in Victorian schools.

“The feedback I’ve heard from students is that they’re just confused about what it’s even trying to say,” he said.

Principals on Tuesday distanced themselves from the materials, with Melbourne Girls Grammar head Toni Meath describing them as “missing the mark”.

She said the material, “relies on euphemisms where a plain English approach would have been more of a credit to the intelligence of students and youth”.

Whitefriars principal Mark Murphy said his school used internal programs and state government resources and was working “in close partnership with our families and sister schools to complement these curriculum programs”.

Acting Premier, James Merlino said he won’t be recommending the video be used in Victorian schools. Picture: David Crosling

Debra James, general secretary of the Independent Education Union, said the materials were “well-intentioned, but they just don’t hit the mark”.

“Our students are sophisticated and don’t need tortured metaphors — they need clear, accessible and well-designed resources enabling them to explore and discuss these important issues,” she said.

Even groups listed by the federal government as being involved, such as Our Watch and the eSafety Commissioner, said they were consulted in the early stages of the program and didn’t sign off on the final content.

Act for Kids, a child protection group, said there was still “no mandated minimum standard for evidence-based protective behaviours programs delivered in schools”.

Federal Education Minister Alan Tudge, who launched the scheme last week with Women’s Safety Minister Anne Ruston, did not comment. Department of Education secretary Michele Brunige announced the pulling of the videos due to “community and stakeholder feedback”.

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