From the dismally unfunny ABC
"But we are dealing with a sovereign independent country, and we respect the sovereignty and independence of Fiji."
Primal Munster Johnnee

From Gus:
"But we are dealing with a sovereign independent country, and we don't respect the sovereignty and independence of Iraq."
Primal Munster Johnnee

From the less adventurous ABC

'Multiculturalism' faces Govt axing
The parliamentary secretary to the Immigration Minister says he does not think the term 'multiculturalism' is very meaningful and he is searching for a more appropriate word.

Andrew Robb says the term was discussed at a meeting with the Government-appointed Council of Multicultural Australia.

He says he would like to see a different word used in the Government's ethnic policy.

Mr Robb says the term is not particularly useful.

"Many people have suggested to me, including my multicultural council members, that the word multiculturalism means different things to different people," he said.

"It's unhelpful, it's not useful to describe the great success and importance in Australia of having an Australian family which respects the great diversity of those members of the family."

School chaplains told not to preach

School chaplains will have to avoid preaching the views of one religion under a new Federal Government scheme to be implemented next month.

Schools across Australia can begin applying for federal funding for a school chaplain in January.

The Federal Government will provide up to $20,000 a year to schools that want to set up a chaplaincy program.

Prospective chaplains will have to sign a code of conduct that ensures they do not touch students unless it is strictly necessary.

They will also have to avoid using theological language that assumes students have the same beliefs.

Education Minister Julie Bishop says the code of conduct is necessary to protect students.

"The Australian Government needs to ensure that all proper checks are undertaken to ensure that only people acceptable to a school community - and those who have the qualifications to be a chaplain - are appointed to these roles," she said.

--------------------

Gus: is that a way to distract from the need of a school psychologist? And pay peanuts for the service? Ah the smell of spirituality... Check the cartoon above...

Schools will lose the option of appointing secular social workers under the national school chaplaincy program, for which the Abbott government has found an extra $245m in budget funding.

While flagging big cuts to future school spending growth, the Coalition's first budget earmarks the funding over five years to continue the chaplaincy scheme originally put into place by John Howard.

But the education minister, Christopher Pyne, confirmed he would axe an option put in place by the Labor government for schools to opt for non-religious student welfare worker as an alternative to a chaplain providing “pastoral care”.

“Counsellors and social workers in schools are really the responsibility of the states and territories,” Pyne told Guardian Australia on Wednesday.

The Australian Education Union – which has long argued funds for the chaplaincy program should be redirected – described Pyne's justification as “an extraordinary comment”.

“So where does the Australian constitution say that the federal government is responsible for school chaplains,” said the federal president, Angelo Gavrielatos.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/14/budget-it-will-be-chaplains-not-secular-social-workers-at-schools

See toon at top... And some mongrels in the MMMM think that Tony the Prickle has been quiet on "his" religious views!!!! Get a life!

Pray it won't happen 

I feel that Philip Comans (Letters, May 15) may have missed the point on school chaplains ("Education union blasts budget funding for chaplains", May 15). With most of the $245 million coming out of science and green energy funding, our children will need to learn how to pray to some "magic-sky-daddy" in the futile hope that something can save them as the world fries.  As Joe Hockey said, we need to leave something for the next generation and hope is all we’ll have left.

Leo Sullivan Haberfield