Anthony Albanese and Peter Malinauskas scolded over ‘US rally’ at Adelaide high school hall

Labor is under fire for using a government school as the venue for Anthony Albanese’s Adelaide campaign rally despite a clear SA Education Department directive saying schools cannot be used for events ‘favouring a political party’.

Anthony Albanese at a campaign rally with South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas in Adelaide. Picture Matt Turner.

Labor is under fire for using a government school as the venue for Anthony Albanese’s Adelaide campaign rally despite a clear SA Education Department directive saying schools cannot be used for events “favouring a political party”.

Former SA Liberal Education Minister John Gardner is demanding an explanation as to how the ALP was able to hire the Norwood International School on Sunday to stage what he called “a US-style political rally”.

Mr Gardner pointed to the example he set as Education Minister in the Marshall Government when he vetoed the Liberal Party’s promotion of an appearance by then Liberal candidate Georgina Downer at a government school in the 2019 election campaign.

In that case, while Ms Downer was still allowed to make the school visit alongside then Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan, the Liberals were instructed they could not use any Liberal Party logos or livery at the Eastern Fleurieu School.

In contrast, Labor’s event in Norwood on Sunday was a full-blown party political affair with abundant Labor signage.

It was also attended by several senior federal and state Labor MPs including Deputy PM Richard Marles, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, SA Premier Peter Malinauskas and every SA federal Labor candidate.

Mr Gardner told The Australian that Mr Albanese’s campaign event was effectively a soft launch of Labor’s national campaign and should not have been allowed at Norwood International in the Liberal-held marginal seat of Sturt.

The SA Education Department’s rules surrounding political events state that school and preschool visits “must not be for political or campaign purposes”.

It further states that while school and preschool premises “may be hired out to political groups for meetings”, schools need to be careful not to look like they are endorsing or supporting one political party.

“It’s important in agreeing to the use of the premises that the purpose is appropriate and that the school or preschool can’t be seen by the community to be favouring a particular political party,” the policy states.

Mr Gardner said the arrangements between the ALP and Norwood International School had clearly breached that guideline.

“Sunday’s flagrant abuse of a public high school for Labor’s US-style political rally with the PM shows blatant disregard for the department’s political neutrality, and is a breach of the Department’s Policy,” Mr Gardner said.

“We ask students to obey school rules. We also have penalties for parents who behave in a disorderly manner at schools. What sort of Government places themselves above the rules for their own political benefit?

“Labor has some serious question to answer about this issue. Who organised the event, and who let them into the Ivan Coward Hall? Did the Chief Executive approve its use? Can any political party now use public schools for political rallies, and if so, how much did the Labor Party pay for it?”

Richard Marles, Deputy Prime Minister of Australia with Senator Penny Wong and South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas in Adelaide. Picture Matt Turner.

But SA Premier Peter Malinauskas accused the Liberals of hypocrisy saying that SA Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia was a member of the Norwood International School’s Governing Council which under protocols has to sign off on the use of schools for political events.

Mr Malinauskas defended the use of the school and said there had been no breach.

“Schools are able to hire out their halls to organisations including organisations that are having meetings for political purposes,” he said.

“There is a process you have to go through and you have to go through the (governing council. This is quite ironic but do you know who sits on the governing council of this school? Vincent Tarzia.

“So Vincent Tarzia who is on the governing council approves the hall to be used by the ALP and then this morning his deputy leader goes out and complains about it. If John Gardner is genuinely concerned about this he should take it up with Vincent Tarzia.”

However Mr Gardner said it was not clear whether the hiring arrangement had even been disclosed to the governing council of the Norwood School and that he believed the Education Department would have signed off on it.

A spokesman for the SA Labor Party dismissed the use of the school as routine, saying the school had been sought by the party’s national secretariat “under normal commercial arrangements”.