Same-sex marriage: Abbott blasts ACT education minister over Brindabella Christian School

Tony Abbott has accused ACT Labor government of trampling on the rights of parents over same-sex marriage.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott says ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry’s actions amounted to a “pretty outrageous interference with freedom of speech and freedom of religion’’.

Tony Abbott has ripped into the ACT Labor government over same-sex marriage, accusing it of bullying and trampling on the rights of parents after it smacked down a Canberra Christian school which has asked its parents to vote No.

The former prime minister, and a leading no advocate, said the actions of ACT Labor Education Minister Yvette Berry in telling all Canberra schools they had to be inclusive amounted to a “pretty outrageous interference with freedom of speech and freedom of religion’’.

“If that’s the way the school thinks, why can’t it speak its mind?

“If Woolworths and Qantas and these companies can speak their mind without anyone bullying them, why can’t the Brindabella Christian College speak its mind and gives its advice without being bullied by the ACT government,’’ Mr Abbott told 2GB.

ACT Education Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Yvette Berry, centre.

“How can the commonwealth, the Prime Minister and other senior ministers like Scott Morrison stand there and say with a straight face that freedom of speech, freedom of religion and parental choice will be protected under what is not government legislation, but private member’s legislation when we have a territory government, and I dare say the Victorian government and other state governments would take a similar view … trampling over the rights over the rights of schools and the parents that send their kids to these schools to speak their mind.’’

Ms Berry today reminded all Canberra schools, public and private, they had an obligation to be safe and “LGBTIQ+ inclusive’’.

LGBTIQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex or queer.

“Of course school leaders and staff, and parents and carers are free to hold their views on marriage equality but this cannot be allowed to occur in a way that damages the welfare of young LGBTIQ+ people,’’ Ms Berry said.

She made the comments after the Brindabella Christian College in Canberra wrote to staff and parents last week urging a no vote in the same-sex marriage survey and raising concerns about a lack of religious freedom protections.

The college stands by the letter in which principal Bruce Handley wrote “there simply is no certainty around what legislation may be proposed, a YES vote is basically signing a blank cheque to the parliament to proceed with changes’’.

“Our reservations in relation to the proposed redefinition of marriage itself and, regardless of what views may be held on that issue, the genuine and very valid concerns we hold about our ongoing ability to continue to teach and model a Christian view of marriage we are, respectfully, asking all those associated with the school community to participate and vote NO in the survey.

“We ask this in love and out of love,’’ the letter said.

‘Every parent’s fears’

Coalition for Marriage spokesman Lyle Shelton said Ms Berry’s intervention confirmed every parent’s fear about the effect of same-sex marriage on their children’s education.

Mr Shelton said Ms Berry had warned Canberra schools against encouraging a no vote while also announcing the upcoming launch of the ACT’s answer to Safe Schools.

“In a single statement, Minister Berry has confirmed every parent’s fears about the introduction of same-sex marriage,” he said in a statement.

“Minister Berry has told schools that teaching that marriage is between a man and a woman is no longer allowed, even without the law changing. Minister Berry has essentially said that same-sex marriage is only one view of marriage permitted to be taught in classrooms or communicated to parents,’’ he said.

“Faith-based schools are already being warned about what they say about marriage. This will only get worse if the law changes.’’

Mr Shelton also said that “after firing a warning shot to faith-based schools about what they say on marriage, the Minister then proceeded to talk about Safe Schools, showing that same-sex marriage and radical LGBTIQ sex and gender education is a package deal’’.

‘You just can’t trust these people’

Mr Abbott said the incident highlighted that no one knew how parental choice would be protected in the ‘’brave new world of same-sex marriage should it come about’’.

He also warned there were “committed ideologues’’ involved in the yes campaign with an agenda that went far beyond same-sex marriage and they couldn’t be trusted to be handed a blank cheque by Australian voters.

He said this agenda included reviving the Safe Schools “social engineering’’ agenda.

“There is a big agenda here for many of the people behind same sex marriage this is the thin end of the wedge, that’s why we should think long and hard before we vote and I certainly think the only safe course is to vote no.’’

Mr Abbott said if things were “as bad as this before same-sex marriage has happened, just think how much worse it could be in this brave new world that the politically correct left want forced upon us’’.

He objected, he said, to the attempts, which were subtle and not subtle, to “coerce’’ people who are on one side of the argument.

“The other thing I object to is voters are being asked to sign a blank cheque here, support same sex marriage and we’ll work out the details afterwards.’’

“You just can’t trust these people given the way they’re conducting themselves, or many of them are conducting themselves now to ensure these protections are there.’’

Mr Abbott said as well as millions of decent people who simply wanted to be respectful and kind towards their gay friends and family members, there were also some “committed ideologues’’ with an agenda.