Hundreds Of Ex-Students From Scott Morrison’s Old High School Don’t Want Him To Come To Their Party

It’s safe to say that a lot of politicians didn’t have the best time in high school. While everyone else wagging class or passing notes, they were presumably burying their faces in Robert Menzies biographies to avoid spitballs. They may have at some point been voted onto the SRC, but that’s only because they kept bugging everyone with long-winded speeches or nerdy badges.

After graduation, they usually never have to worry about any of this again. All the people who made fun of them move on to their prosperous careers at the local Maccas, and they proceed to get vengeance on everyone by ascending into leadership and wreaking havoc on the nation. Win win!

But now, Minster for Social Services Scott Morrison’s getting a taste of this nightmare all over again. As Alexandra Smith of The Sydney Morning Herald reported, after Morrison was invited to be keynote speaker for an alumni fundraising event at his old school, Sydney Boys High School, a group of more than 300 “old boys” have risen up in protest.

“We stand in outrage and disgust at the Old Boys Union’s decision to invite Scott Morrison,” they wrote in an open letter. “We call on the OBU to immediately rescind the invitation so as to spare the organisation, and the school itself, the embarrassment of being seen to celebrate the achievements of a man who has so flagrantly disregarded human rights.”

In short: they really, really don’t want him to come to the party.

The letter, posted on the blog of former student Danny Yau now has 430 signatories including a collection of ex-students from the SBHS sister school, Sydney Girls High School. The list also includes a few notable names including former Supreme Court judge Hal Wootten and respected journalist John Pilger. As such, it really does not hold back:

“In his capacity as Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Morrison was at best complicit, and at worst the chief protagonist, in advocating offshore immigration detention policies that violate the United Nations Convention against Torture,” the letter reads. “Further, the Australian Human Rights Commission found that policy championed by Morrison and other Ministers of Immigration have caused asylum seeker children significant mental and physical illness and developmental delays.”

“We are ever mindful of the need for a robust public sphere, in which free political discourse, dissent and contrasting opinions are allowed to flourish. This is not a question of restricting freedom of speech, but instead reflects the desire not to tacitly endorse the actions of a man who has demonstrated callous disregard for human rights. It is cruel and insensitive for the Union to laud this man’s connection to the school, its graduates, and their families.”

The organisers have been contacted for comment but they haven’t yet announced any changes to the event. The person who has responded is Morrison himself. He posted this last night in response to the initial report from SMH.

@smh Everyone is entitled to their opinion. That is what I learnt at Sydney Boys High School. Feel free to send cheque in lieu of attendance

— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) March 27, 2015

Yeah. Like, whatever, guys. Scott doesn’t even care.

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If you went to Sydney Boys High School and would also like to co-sign the letter, just email your name and years of attendance to Danny Yau.