Western suburbs Liberal MP Bernie Finn has demanded the national Safe School anti-bullying program be scrapped, raising the ire of Greens and Labor MPs.
Premier Daniel Andrews has announced the state government intends to roll the program out across all public schools by 2018.
But Mr Finn last week told Parliament the program should be scrapped as it was a form of radical social engineering that prematurely sexualised children.
“The parents of Victoria do not want our sons to be taught how to tuck their penises. We do not want our daughters taught how to bind their breasts.”
Mr Finn said the program was exposing children to concepts and thoughts that threatened their normal development, a claim rejected by western suburbs Greens MP Colleen Hartland.
Ms Hartland said Mr Finn’s “incredibly homophobic and anti-transgender” comments completely misrepresented the program.
“It’s attitudes like Bernie Finn’s that contribute to the high levels of stress, depression and suicide among LGBTI young people.
GREENS MP COLLEN HARTLAND CALLED MR FINN’S COMMENTS “INCREDIBLY HOMOPHOBIC AND ANTI-TRANSGENDER”.
“He should be ashamed,” she said. “Loving our children is about accepting who they are … this is what the program is all about.”
Footscray MP Marsha Thomson said Mr Finn’s comments were outrageous and needlessly spread fear among parents.
“That you would treat something that is meant to give young people and kids a sense of self-worth, like this, is completely irresponsible. The comments are completely inflammatory.”
Star Weekly recently reported a mother of a transgender child at a Newport school had slammed politicians for “ill-informed fear- mongering”.
Opposition leader Matthew Guy welcomed a federal review of the Safe Schools program, but did not call for its scrapping.
Shadow education minister Nick Wakeling said it should not be mandatory, and school communities should decide.
