School chaplains will be paid for the whole of 2014 despite the High Court ruling that the Federal Government is unable to fund chaplains in state schools.

“Our current chaplaincy funding continues until the end of 2014,” says Peter James CEO of Scripture Union Queensland.

“The benefit of such a quick decision is that the government can make the corrections to ensure continued funding for our chaplains. SU QLD will be working hard with the Commonwealth, and other relevant bodies, to put in place a new funding model in time for 2015.”

Victoria’s ACCESS Ministries, another large Chaplaincy provider, is sure of its funding for 2014. “We anticipate that the Federal government will be able to make arrangements to ensure that the funding continues in 2015, “ ACCESS spokesperson Rob Ward told Eternity.

The Federal Government has waived any right to claim funds back from providers. Attorney-General Senator George Brandis told the Senate yesterday in question time that “It follows from the Court’s judgment that Commonwealth payments to persons under the School Chaplaincy Program were invalidly made. The effect of the decision is that these program payments, totaling over $150 million, are now debts owed to the Commonwealth under the Financial Management and Accountability Act. However, under that Act, the Minister for Finance has the power to approve a waiver of debt of an amount owing to the Commonwealth which totally extinguishes that debt. I’m advised by my Friend, Senator Cormann, that he has today agreed to waive the program payments made to date. That decision will provide certainty to funding recipients that these debts will not be recovered in consequence of that decision.”

That funding model might involve the States, as the High Court ruling turned on the balance between State and Federal funding powers.

Queensland Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek has contacted SU QLD’s Peter James to assure him a new funding model would be found, according to a report in the Sunshine Coast Daily.

The Prime Minister says that the Federal Government “wants the program to continue. We invented it.”

Chaplains have bipartisan support. However the previous Labor Government expanded the program to include secular welfare workers. The Abbott Government reversed that decision from 2015.

Labor-governed States could possibly insist on the Labor model if the funds have to be passed through the states. Victoria faces a crucial election later this year and that could affect the second largest Chaplaincy scheme. However Chaplains will be one of 400 programs the Federal Government will have to arrange channels of funding for, following the High Court decision, and that suggests a uniform approach might be favoured.

The Australian Christian Lobby says it “will continue to advocate for the program to ensure an appropriate funding model can be adopted by government so school communities can benefit from the support of a school chaplain.

“Two university studies on the program have shown school communities overwhelming value the role the chaplains provide.”

Image: SU Queensland is still advertising for Chaplains. www.suqld.org.au/chaplaincy