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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 283 asked in the Legislative Assembly on 11 May 2022 by Mr P.J. Rundle

Parliament: 41 Session: 1

PRINCIPALS' HOTLINE

283. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Premier:

I have a supplementary question. Is the minister's hotline consistent with the departmental communication protocol?

Mr M. McGOWAN replied:

I was education minister for nearly two years back in 2007–08 and I went to hundreds of schools. Every time a teacher or principal spoke to me, I did not say, ''You can't talk to me; you have to go to the director general.'' There are 40 000 or 50 000 teachers across Western Australia. When I walk through a shopping centre or what have you, I do not say to them, ''No, sorry, I cannot talk to you; you have to go and talk to the director general. You can't say anything to me.'' Does the member for Roe do that? Is that what he does? Does he say, ''I cannot talk to you''? I mean, it would actually be wise if he did say that—it might save him some grief—but that is not exactly the way the world works. We talk to people. This might explain the attitude of the Liberals and Nationals—they do not actually like real people. They do not like ordinary people. The education minister has decided to do this and to listen to principals. I cannot actually fault it. If she picks up the phone one day and Vladimir Putin is on the other end, she will know that she has had a crossed wire between her and the White House, but I doubt that will happen. Hopefully, this will result in some good outcomes.