Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is under pressure to slap down a conservative Coalition MP who has likened the Safe Schools anti-bullying program to grooming undertaken by sexual predators.
Outspoken Queensland backbencher George Christensen on Thursday claimed the program recommends pornographic content, sex shops, sex clubs and adult communities to schoolchildren.
He also said it directed students to websites that advise students on sex toys and sadomasochism. He singled out the website of LGBT youth organisation Minus18 for particular criticism.
The website has advice on chest binding, penis tucking and sex toys and links to other sites that promote pornography, group sex and gay bars, he claimed. It also gives children advice on how to cover their tracks by hiding their browser history.
"This material is putting children at risk of being sexualised at an early age," he said.
"If a man exposed a child to these websites, sex clubs, sex shops and online communities on the internet we would call this a paedophile grooming a victim."
Mr Turnbull this week ordered a review into the $8 million taxpayer-funded Safe Schools program after coming under pressure from conservative MPs led by Cory Bernardi.
The decision sparked criticism that Mr Turnbull is failing to stand up to right-wing ideologues in his party.
Labor's child safety spokeswoman, Terri Butler, said Mr Turnbull should show leadership.
"Everyone who is attacking the Safe Schools work should calm down. It's designed to stop bullying," she said on Friday.
"I think the PM should show leadership on a range of issues but he hasn't done it yet so I'd be shocked if he does."
Mr Turnbull was asked if he supported Mr Christensen's comment during a press conference in Canberra on Friday afternoon.
While he did not respond directly to the Coalition MP's claims, he said people should discuss the Safe Schools program in "very measured language".
"And ... consider very carefully the impact of the words they use on young people and on their families."
Mr Turnbull added that "every single one of us is absolutely resolutely opposing to bullying of children of any kind."
Labor MP Tim Watts said Mr Christensen's comments were "up there with Heffernan comments on Kirby" - a reference to senator Bill Heffernan's infamous attack of former High Court justice Michael Kirby, which turned out to be incorrect.
"PM should condemn this strongly," Mr Watts tweeted.
Safe Schools advocates say the program saves lives and is the victim of a string of false and exaggerated claims by its critics.
Mr Christensen's speech prompted a furious backlash on social media. Mr Christensen responded: "It's ironic the Safe Schools program claims to be an anti-bullying campaign yet its Twitter advocates resort to trolling against critics."
The Greens sexuality spokesman, senator Robert Simms, said Mr Turnbull should condemn the MP's "profoundly offensive and deeply hurtful" claims.
"The Prime Minister should condemn this homophobia, rather than indulging it through this senseless investigation into Safe Schools," he said. "I'm concerned this kind of hateful debate is a taste of things to come if we have a plebiscite on marriage equality."
Family First senator Bob Day also weighed in on Thursday, saying Safe Schools had nothing to do with preventing bullying, labelling it "anti-parent".
"North Korea gets schoolchildren to tip off teachers and thereby the state that their parents have Bibles in their homes," he told the Senate.
"Be very wary of those intolerant of different views when they start invading schools."
Labor senator Joe Bullock has also criticised the program, labelling it "terrible".
Labor leader Bill Shorten, a supporter of the program, has not responded to Senator Bullock's comments but has branded Senator Bernardi a "homophobe".
with Judith Ireland
