Father wins AustralianHigh Court challenge on federal funding of school chaplains program - Polidicks

[IMG]http://images.smh.com.au/2014/06/19/5524887/art-Ron_Williams-620x349.jpg[/IMG] [QUOTE]The Abbott government remains committed to the national school chaplains program, despite a High Court ruling in favour of a Queensland father who challenged federal funding for the scheme. Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the government was considering the High Court verdict, but continued to back the program, which was established by the Howard government and continued under the Labor Rudd/Gillard governments. ''This is a policy that was invented by the Coalition. It was supported by the Coalition. It was confirmed by the Coalition. So we very much support it and we want it to continue,'' he told reporters in Canberra on Thursday. ''We've only just got this judgment. We'll carefully study the judgment and we'll make an appropriate response after we've made that study.'' The challenge to federal funding of the scheme was launched by Ron Williams, who says there is no place in public schools for non-secular programs. The decision could undermine the federal government's recent decision to allocate $245.3 million to continue running the chaplaincy program for another five years. That funding was intended specifically for schools to hire faith-based chaplains rather than social workers. Under the program, 3700 schools are eligible for up to $72,000 funding to employ chaplains. In a unanimous decision, six judges on the High Court held that the federal government's agreement to fund the Scripture Union of Queensland to provide chaplaincy services to Queensland schools was unlawful. Four of Mr Williams' children attend a Queensland school that receives federal funding for chaplains. Mr Williams said the decision was a huge win for the ''silent majority of parents'' around the country who opposed the chaplaincy program. ''I think we can call this a 6-nil clobbering,'' Mr Williams said. He said that he had been ''gobsmacked'' when the federal government funded the program in the recent budget while ''slashing education and health''. Read more: [url]http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/father-wins-high-court-challenge-on-federal-funding-of-school-chaplains-program-20140619-3af5y.html#ixzz354kehXcX[/url][/QUOTE]

[quote]Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the government was considering the High Court verdict, but continued to back the program, which was established by the Howard government and continued under the Labor Rudd/Gillard governments. ''This is a policy that was invented by the Coalition. It was supported by the Coalition. It was confirmed by the Coalition. So we very much support it and we want it to continue,'' he told reporters in Canberra on Thursday.[/quote] Doesn't fucking matter how much you want to support it, it's illegal. Get rid of it already.

Guys the country is going to go broke so were cutting education funding. Guys there's not enough jobs so were spending all the money we cut on chaplains and military aircraft that we dont need. And Abbott wonders why people don't like him

what the fuck is the coalition and tony abbot thinking when it comes to this shit. after all, no one is the suppository of all wisdom :v:

Dunno why they keep funding this shit. Labor changed some legislation back in 2010 because it was ruled illegal back then as well, bet Abbott will do the same. But for some reason nobody made a big fuss when it happened in 2010

The fact Abbott wants to fund the hell out of these programs but not fund other important programs is retarded

Watch as they pull the same shit as Garrett did in 2012 when he won the High Court case for the first time. I've got Ronnie added on Facebook. Pretty chill bloke.

this is terrible news because it's fucking boring

[QUOTE=BuffaloBill;45154014]Doesn't fucking how much you want to support it, it's illegal. Get rid of it already.[/QUOTE] It's not illegal. Simply the Commonwealth cannot enter into contracts for this area for which they have not legislated for, and thus cannot supply provisions for the chaplain program. All they have to do is legislate for it, and then everything is good.