Minister for Foreign Affairs

Stephen Smith

Religious Education :

Chaplaincy program goes secular in Rudd overhaul JOHN Howard's controversial school chaplains program will be expanded to include any suitably qualified counsellor under an overhaul by the Rudd Government. Education Minister Julia Gillard's office has confirmed the $90 million program will be changed into a secular scheme when current contracts expire. "Any funds allocated, we will deliver," her spokeswoman said. "After that point it will be reviewed and obviously we are looking at expanding it." .... Labor's plans for the program did not feature in its election campaign. But former education spokesman Stephen Smith had criticised the funding criteria, saying individual schools should be able to select any "appropriate individual" to provide pastoral care. The current program is funded for another two years. The Government will draw up plans to expand the scheme in co-operation with education groups. Opposition education spokesman Tony Smith said the chaplains scheme was so popular it was over-subscribed by schools. He said its expansion was an indictment on state Labor governments, whose responsibility it was to provide school counsellors. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23047448-662,00.html

STEPHEN SMITH & CHRISTIANITY :

Labor MPs refuse to be sworn in holding Bibles 13/2 Matthew Franklin for The Australian | ... the winds of change were freshening as a majority of Labor MPs refused to be sworn in holding Bibles, instead exercising their option to offer an affirmation of allegiance. Of the Labor frontbench, only Mr Rudd, Simon Crean, Martin Ferguson and Peter Garrett took the Bible in hand as they declared their allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II and her heirs and successors. In marked contrast, all members of the God-fearing Coalition front bench swore on the Bible, many supplying their own for the occasion. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23205381-5013871,00.html

STEPHEN SMITH & KEVIN RUDD :

Don't forget 39 Labor MPs didn't want Kevin Rudd (27/11) Crikey.Com | Slicing through Labor's post-election euphoria is the stark fact that 39 of Prime Minister-elect Kevin Rudd's parliamentary colleagues voted against him for the leadership less than 12 months ago. They wanted to keep Kim Beazley in the job so that he could have a third crack at the prime ministership. In the caucus wash-up, Rudd received 49 votes to win by just 10. The anti-Ruddsters were: Wayne Swan, Stephen Smith, Anthony Albanese, Stephen Conroy, Martin Ferguson, Jenny Macklin, Tanya Plibersek, Penny Wong, Craig Emerson, Chris Evans, Carmen Lawrence, Dick Adams, Sharon Bird, Mark Bishop, Carol Brown, Anna Burke, George Campbell, Kate Ellis, Steve Georganas, Jennie George, Michael Hatton, Chris Hayes, John Hogg, Annette Hurley, Steve Hutchins, Julia Irwin, Duncan Kerr, Catherine King, Joe Ludwig, Anne McEwen, Daryl Melham, John Murphy, Kerry O'Brien, Helen Polley, Bernie Ripoll, Glenn Sterle, Kim Wilkie, Dana Wortley and Kim Beazley. Since then, some have made peace with Rudd and are assured of senior places in the first Cabinet to be announced at the end of this week eg. Treasurer Swan and Education and Training Minister Smith. Others have quit politics - Beazley and Carmen Lawrence http://www.crikey.com.au/Politics/20071127-Dont-forget-39-Labor-MPs-didnt-want-Kevin-Rudd.html