Legislative Council Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1) 53 1 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time School Chaplains School Chaplains The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD Legislative Council School Chaplains The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (14:57): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the minister representing the Treasurer and, indeed, the Attorney-General as well in the other place. Leave granted. The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD Legislative Council The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD: The Australian newspaper reported this week an article which stated: State governments have lined up in a High Court challenge to stop federal funding of religious chaplains in schools, casting further doubt on hundreds of commonwealth-funded programs. In addition to the chaplaincy program, not just casting doubt on the chaplaincy program but, in the words of The Australian, 'hundreds' of other programs. My questions to the minister are: 1.	Is the state government a fellow opponent to the commonwealth in the High Court action contesting the validity of federal chaplaincy funding as well as other programs, as insinuated by The Australian? 2.	If so, and given that the action is supported by states on the basis that such funding is a state and not a federal concern, is the government therefore committing that, should the funding be defeated in the action, it will fund the school chaplaincy program in future, as well as the other additional programs that have been referred to in The Australian? The Hon. G.E. GAGO Legislative Council Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Business Services and Consumers The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (14:58): I thank the honourable member for his questions and will refer them to the Treasurer in another place and bring back a response.