Backlash over 'white privilege' training for Victorian public servants
A divisive new 'cultural awareness program' for justice workers sparks controversy with Victoria's Premier standing by the woke plan.
The Victorian government’s controversial plan to introduce "white privilege training" as part of a taxpayer-funded cultural awareness course has ignited debate, with critics labelling the move as "divisive and woke.”
Thousands of staff from the Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJSC) are required to participate in mandatory cultural awareness training ahead of upcoming Treaty negotiations in the state.
The program includes Aboriginal cultural awareness and safety workshops. However, one aspect of the program, the white privilege training module, has drawn backlash.
A DJSC employee, speaking anonymously, voiced concerns about the focus on race.
“There are lots of types of privilege – race, class, and wealth. But I don’t feel that pointing out the colour of people’s skin has worked in the past, so why is it acceptable to now be doing this in our workplace?” the worker said.
Premier Jacinta Allan defended the inclusion of the contentious module, arguing that critics were being unfair.
“I really do think it's a bit rough to pull out this one module of one training program that's optional for those workers. This is a bit rough, particularly in the context of the work that's being done to make workplaces safe,” she stated during a press conference.
The DJSC, in partnership with the University of Melbourne, maintains that the training is essential to ensure a "culturally safe and inclusive environment for Aboriginal Victorians."
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