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.