PM’s view denies the future a voice
SCOTT Morrison reckons kids should leave the politics to the grown ups and get on with school.
In Question Time this week, Morrison slammed planned rallies by school kids on climate change and implored them to stay in class rather than on the streets protesting things that “can be dealt with outside of school”.
“Each day I send my kids to school and I know other members’ kids should also go to school but we do not support our schools being turned into parliaments,” Mr Morrison told parliament on Monday.
“What we want is more learning in schools and less activism in schools.”
Sit down and shut up, kids, was the Prime Minister’s message. His comments, and the even more outrageous ones of his Cabinet colleague Matt Canavan (who said the only thing kids would learn at a protest was how to join a dole queue) show a dangerous disregard for a fundamental principle of democracy.
You can disagree with a subject being protested – and ON A CHEEKY AIR NEW ZEALAND AD THAT PROMISES KIWIS WILL BE NICER TO AUSTRALIANS
There appears to be no Aussie kids on the naughty list and there was 3 kiwis. I’m assuming then that Australia is actually the nicest place to be. Wendy Cowan
What? I didn’t realise there were any Kiwis left in NZ? Raymond McCumstie
This ad is funny! Hope kids get the message for staying off their phones. Alexia Hohipa-Wilson Fabulous. Maggie Vinbo for the record Morrison also said climate change was a “very real and serious issue” – and you can certainly disagree with the behaviour of protesters, but their right to make their voice heard through nonviolent demonstration should not be brushed off, even if the protesters aren’t old enough to vote.
And when kids did rally on ON CHILDREN WAGGING SCHOOL TO STRIKE ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Send a message to the vastly overpopulated countries that do far more to pollute the environment than Australia and protest to the bleeding hearts who want to increase our population with immigration which leads to growth in our cities and the destruction of land to make room for housing. Native wildlife will have nothing left, trees being chopped down to make way and farms turned into suburbs. Lyn
It’s equivalent to an excursion and the kids learnt more today than they ever would have in Friday, their behaviour was impeccable. Much better than any of the grown-up protests I’ve seen, or any day in parliamentary Question Time.
When teenagers are routinely criticised by their elders for their perceived apathy and self absorption, for the Prime Minister to have a crack at them for caring was meanspirited and arrogant.
Initially I was inclined to half agree with Morrison that kids would be better off in class. The rallies seemed like the kind of opportunity to wag school I would have leapt at as a high school student.
And many times I did – at my conservative Catholic school there were no shortage of opportunities to skive off for school. Speaking as a teacher with conservative values, 35 years ago I was teaching kids about the dangers of climate change. Not much progress has happened during that intervening period. The kids do have a vested interest in the subject. Alan
Tell me how many kids have a realistic and informed view about any of this?! A day of protest? Lol, more like a bludge day from school. Any excuse not to be in class at this time of year. School finishes in 3 weeks! E
So proud that our kids have the strength and courage to stand up and have their say. These kids will be voting in the very near future and they will not be politically ignorant. Shake it up students.... that is how society advances! Paula
Don’t agree with them leaving school could of been on the weekend but glad they are thinking of the environment. Ash Day off school, I’m in, no matter what the call is ha ha. Marc ON A LEGAL STOUSH OVER HOUSING IN SANTA TERESA
Absolutely disgusting! Pay what is owed. Use a service, pay for it. Rent should be paid regardless of BS loopholes. so they want FREE HOUSING AND MAINTENANCE, expecting taxpayers to foot the bill as always. What an absolute joke. Commonsense isn’t common these days! I’m embarrassed at our legal system. Christopher ON THE HORN MUNDINE FIGHT
Is it true Mundine slipped on a Bunnings Onion? David Power
Horn needs to fight way better opponents than Mundine, to build his name back up . This is a giant step backwards for Jeff Horn, even though he got an easy KO. Pretty underwhelming fight all around IMO . Jamie Forrest It was past his bedtime... Paul Carson