The Wire

Education Minister Peter Garrett today sought to reassure schools, parents and religious organisations that the National School Chaplaincy Program would continue – despite it being ruled invalid by the High Court. There were two aspects to the judgement which was ten months in the making. The first – that the employment of school chaplains was unconstitutional – was rejected because the government contracts out the work, and therefore doesn’t directly employ chaplains. The second went to their executive powers under the constitution to make payments not just for the chaplaincy program, but possibly many other government programs. This decision was upheld – and could have could have wide-spread implications for the government.