New Liberal MP wants 'both sides' of climate change debate taught at schools

School children should hear a diverse range of views in the classroom, including from climate change advocates as well as sceptics, a new Liberal MP says.

Scott Morrison and then-Liberal candidate for Longman Terry Young on the campaign trail. Source: Getty

Australian school children should hear from both climate change scientists and climate change sceptics, a new Coalition MP believes.

Terry Young won the Brisbane-based seat of Longman from Labor at the recent election.

The small business owner says the greatest gift of being human is free choice, arguing "indoctrination of any type robs our children of this gift". 

"We want our children and grandchildren to hear the theories of evolution and creation, different religions, climate change advocates and climate change sceptics," he told parliament in his first speech.

A heatwave in Melbourne earlier this year.

AAP

 

"What we don't want for our kids is to be brain-washed with extreme left or right ideologies.

"When I hear a school principal stand up at school in assembly and say: 'If this government doesn't do anything about climate change the world will end in 2030', I get angry."

Mr Young says children should not be indoctrinated by "fear-mongering" over the climate.

"We (conservatives) simply believe that we need to look after this magnificent planet because it's the right thing to do, not because a scientist or extremist scared us into it," he said on Wednesday.

A power plant in Victoria.

AAP