Question on Notice regarding the Premier's conversation with Paul Albert about informing the Minister for Education and Training of a Corruption and Crime Commission investigation, and the justification for Albert's management-initiated retirement.

AnsweredQoN 912Legislative Assembly
Asked
29 November 2006
Portfolio
Premier

QuestionView source ↗

PAUL ALBERT - MANAGEMENT-INITIATED RETIREMENT
On 17 October the Premier told Parliament - I had a detailed and lengthy conversation with Mr Albert in the office last night and I accepted his version of events. (1) At any stage during this lengthy and detailed conversation, did Mr Albert detail his version of events regarding how many times he informed the Minister for Education and Training that the Corruption and Crime Commission was investigating her department; and, if so, what did he say? (2) Given that this supposed failure to keep the minister informed was central to the Premier’s justification for sacking Mr Albert, if he did not provide this information, why did the Premier not ask him about it? Mr A.J. CARPENTER

AnswerView source ↗

(1) No. (2) I have reported this every time I have spoken about this matter. Paul Albert and I discussed the position that had arisen and his frustration with the CCC’s directive, as he saw it, that he should not discuss the issues that were under investigation with the minister. As I said yesterday, he provided me with a letter that supported his view that he had been unable to discuss the matter with the minister. We also discussed some of the individual cases that were the subject of the CCC report, notably the case of a teacher who was convicted of an offence involving a young girl and who had been allowed to continue teaching. It was Mr Albert’s view, and my view, in the discussion that this was a very, very serious matter, and that because of the nature of the matters, confidence needed to be restored or re-established in the education system. We came to a mutually agreed position at the conclusion of that discussion that he would take a management-initiated retirement. That is what happened at that meeting.
(2) Given that this supposed failure to keep the minister informed was central to the Premier’s justification for sacking Mr Albert, if he did not provide this information, why did the Premier not ask him about it? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: (1) No. (2) I have reported this every time I have spoken about this matter. Paul Albert and I discussed the position that had arisen and his frustration with the CCC’s directive, as he saw it, that he should not discuss the issues that were under investigation with the minister. As I said yesterday, he provided me with a letter that supported his view that he had been unable to discuss the matter with the minister. We also discussed some of the individual cases that were the subject of the CCC report, notably the case of a teacher who was convicted of an offence involving a young girl and who had been allowed to continue teaching. It was Mr Albert’s view, and my view, in the discussion that this was a very, very serious matter, and that because of the nature of the matters, confidence needed to be restored or re-established in the education system. We came to a mutually agreed position at the conclusion of that discussion that he would take a management-initiated retirement. That is what happened at that meeting.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: (1) No. (2) I have reported this every time I have spoken about this matter. Paul Albert and I discussed the position that had arisen and his frustration with the CCC’s directive, as he saw it, that he should not discuss the issues that were under investigation with the minister. As I said yesterday, he provided me with a letter that supported his view that he had been unable to discuss the matter with the minister. We also discussed some of the individual cases that were the subject of the CCC report, notably the case of a teacher who was convicted of an offence involving a young girl and who had been allowed to continue teaching. It was Mr Albert’s view, and my view, in the discussion that this was a very, very serious matter, and that because of the nature of the matters, confidence needed to be restored or re-established in the education system. We came to a mutually agreed position at the conclusion of that discussion that he would take a management-initiated retirement. That is what happened at that meeting.
(1) No. (2) I have reported this every time I have spoken about this matter. Paul Albert and I discussed the position that had arisen and his frustration with the CCC’s directive, as he saw it, that he should not discuss the issues that were under investigation with the minister. As I said yesterday, he provided me with a letter that supported his view that he had been unable to discuss the matter with the minister. We also discussed some of the individual cases that were the subject of the CCC report, notably the case of a teacher who was convicted of an offence involving a young girl and who had been allowed to continue teaching. It was Mr Albert’s view, and my view, in the discussion that this was a very, very serious matter, and that because of the nature of the matters, confidence needed to be restored or re-established in the education system. We came to a mutually agreed position at the conclusion of that discussion that he would take a management-initiated retirement. That is what happened at that meeting.
(2) I have reported this every time I have spoken about this matter. Paul Albert and I discussed the position that had arisen and his frustration with the CCC’s directive, as he saw it, that he should not discuss the issues that were under investigation with the minister. As I said yesterday, he provided me with a letter that supported his view that he had been unable to discuss the matter with the minister. We also discussed some of the individual cases that were the subject of the CCC report, notably the case of a teacher who was convicted of an offence involving a young girl and who had been allowed to continue teaching. It was Mr Albert’s view, and my view, in the discussion that this was a very, very serious matter, and that because of the nature of the matters, confidence needed to be restored or re-established in the education system. We came to a mutually agreed position at the conclusion of that discussion that he would take a management-initiated retirement. That is what happened at that meeting.

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