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| Michael Keenan raving on about schools but fails to speak to the Queensland Education Minister. |
The Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan is unnecessarily scaring Queensland school authorities, parents and students with today's embellished announcement about unspecified terror threats to Queensland schools.
He should have spoken to the State Education Minister Kate Jones before making today's announcement.
The Brisbane Times reports: reports: There is no specific terrorism threat to Queensland schools, even though two schools will receive additional funding for security guards, Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan says.
The schools - which may be Islamic or Jewish schools - are among 54 that received at total of $18 million for security guards, closed-circuit television and fences.
"There is no specific information we have that makes us worried about these two schools in Queensland," Mr Keenan told Fairfax Radio 4BC on Monday morning.
Two Queensland schools are among 54 around the country to get security upgrades.
"And there is no specific information we have that makes us worried about any of the 54 schools that have been identified."
Mr Keenan said the program had been running since 2007, however before the September 2013 federal election, the Coalition promised to widen the parameters for how the security money could be used to let schools employ security guards.
He declined to say which two Queensland schools had received the security funding because they had a "slightly higher risk profile".
"Not all of the school community are comfortable talking about it," he said.
Mr Keenan said applications for schools to seek additional funding for terrorism security began well before the terrorism attacks in Paris (January 2015) or at Sydney's Lindt Cafe (December 2014).
"This is not in response to incidents we have seen overseas or here," he said.
Full story: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/no-terror-threat-to-queensland-schools-kate-jones-20150302-13shgi.html
