Kyle Sandilands has criticized a controversial plan by Victoria’s Department of Justice and Community Safety to include ‘white privilege training’ in a new taxpayer-funded cultural awareness course.
Department workers will receive training as the state moves forward with its plans to negotiate a historic treaty with indigenous peoples.
The required cultural awareness course includes an optional white privilege module.
Speaking on the Kyle & Jackie O show on Wednesday morning, Sandilands, 53, criticized the “woke” plan, suggesting it teaches that being white is inherently problematic.
“It’s part of this taxpayer-funded cultural awareness course, which really means some nonsense where workers will be taught that if you’re born white, you’ve probably had a pretty fun life,” the KIIS FM star said. he said into the air.
‘Why do we need to be taught that?
“If you work for the Victorian Department of Justice, thousands of people are forced to go and shame you for being white.”
However, his co-host Jackie ‘O’ Henderson backed the move and said the course aims to make people aware of the challenges faced by other cultures.
Kyle Sandilands has criticized the Victorian Department of Justice’s controversial plan to include ‘white privilege training’ in a new taxpayer-funded cultural awareness course.
“I don’t think it’s shaming… I thought it was just making them aware that other cultures don’t have it as easy as we do, which is the truth,” the 49-year-old said.
The term white privilege refers to the advantages granted to white people by systemic forms of racial injustice.
Addressing media in Victorian Parliament on Tuesday, Premier Jacinta Allan defended the move, noting the white privilege training module was voluntary.
“It’s a little difficult to mention this module, a training programme, which is optional for those workers,” Ms Allan said.
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with efforts to make workplaces safe and respectful for everyone.”
Prime Minister Jacinta Allan (pictured) defended the move, pointing out that the white privilege training module was voluntary.
The AAP reported that the taxpayer-funded training will not be implemented in other state agencies or departments.
How agencies ‘grade’ workplace training is a matter for them, Ms Allan said.
Juvenile Justice and Corrections Minister Enver Erdogan also endorsed the training module, but admitted that a name change might have been prudent.
“The name probably could have been changed,” he said.
“People have different perspectives on life and different backgrounds and I think it’s important to understand that in a multicultural society.”
Opposition justice spokesman Brad Battin said it was a failure of good governance for Labor to support race-based training.
“Victorians don’t pay taxes to cover Labour’s agenda,” he told AAP.
Negotiations on Australia’s first treaty with Aboriginal people were due to begin between the Victorian government and the First Peoples’ Assembly in November.
The opposition withdrew its support for the treaty in January following the failure of the national referendum on the federal parliament, citing concerns over cultural heritage laws.
