One Nation Queensland leader MP Steve Dickson has apologised for the wording he used in his claims about the state's Safe Schools program, saying he is sorry if they offended anyone.
At a press conference on the weekend, Mr Dickson, the Member for Buderim, claimed the Safe Schools program was teaching inappropriate sex education at primary schools to girls in grade four.
Mr Dickson's allegations came as he tried to defend his party's domestic violence policy and its promise to abolish the Safe Schools program if elected.
"One Nation is about protecting the whole family unit," he said on Saturday.
"And that takes me onto another note — the controversial Safe Schools program in Queensland.
"We are having little kids in grade four at school, young girls being taught by teachers how to masturbate, how to strap on dildos, how to do this sort of stuff — that is the real problem in this country."
Mr Dickson has since said in a statement he based his allegations on the weekend on information relayed to him by a parent.
"I apologise if the specific words I used offended anyone, but I make no apology for One Nation's policy to remove the controversial Safe Schools program from Queensland classrooms," Mr Dickson said.
He has also rejected any suggestion his claims about the program were a reflection on Queensland teachers.
"It was never my intention to offend our educators who I have the greatest respect for," he said.
"No child should be bullied at school for any reason, but this program is not an anti-bullying program.
"It contains highly explicit material directed at young children in their most formative years, without their parents' or guardians' knowledge or consent."
Mr Dickson has refused to name the schools where the allegations occurred.
"Volumes of concerned parents have contacted my office regarding the controversial Safe Schools program for at least two years," he said.
"In fact it is one of the biggest concerns raised in my electorate and other MPs could verify this.
"This issue must be brought to the attention of parents as the Labor government kept the list of Queensland schools giving students access to this program a secret.
"However, a September 2015 archive search of the Safe School Coalition website revealed that 13 Queensland schools were listed as member schools."
Mr Dickson said One Nation would replace the program if it held the balance of power after the Queensland election.
"The program has been taught in our classrooms as recently as two weeks ago," he said.
"The Premier's assertion at the weekend that the Safe Schools program 'was not being taught in classrooms in Queensland' must be clarified."
