February 13, 2025

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‘Had better days’: Alan Tudge’s single exchange with education department since standing down | Alan Tudge

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Alan Tudge has experienced no speak to with senior officers in his office considering that he stood apart as education and learning minister apart more than 5 months ago, except for the cancellation of scheduled conferences and a welfare test by means of WhatsApp.

Tudge continue to technically holds his ministerial position and is prepared to resume these obligations if the Coalition is re-elected, but Guardian Australia can expose he has had pretty constrained communication with the instruction division in the meantime.

A independence of details application for all communications in between Tudge and the secretary or other senior officers of the division between 3 December and 11 April uncovered just a few scenarios.

Two have been the head of the department cancelling beforehand scheduled commitments: a weekly assembly in between the section and the minister’s business office, and a pre-briefing about a gathering of the country’s education and learning ministers.

The 3rd was a WhatsApp trade concerning a senior general public servant and Tudge.

“Hi Minister,” a senior departmental officer wrote on 3 December.

“Hope you are doing okay. Tough day – hope you have some assist wrapped about you. Consider treatment.”

Tudge replied a few times later.

“Appreciate the concept,” he explained. “Yes, experienced greater times.”

Tudge stood aside from his ministerial position on 2 December, after promises from the former senior political adviser Rachelle Miller that he experienced been emotionally and, on a person situation, bodily abusive to her although they were being in a relationship in 2017. Tudge denies the allegations.

On 4 March the government introduced a report by the previous bureaucrat Vivienne Thom, getting there was insufficient evidence Tudge experienced breached the ministerial standards. Miller chose not to participate in the inquiry, stating the authorities had dismissed her issues about its terms of reference.

On Tuesday Tudge would not say if he required to return to the role of education and learning minister after the election, but indicated he was prepared to do so.

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“The PM has designed crystal clear my preparations. The PM has stated if we get the election and I’m in a position to return to the frontbench then I will do so,” he explained at a prepoll in his Melbourne electorate of Aston.

Tudge would not say no matter if he had been concerned in cupboard conferences or if he had had get in touch with with the acting education minister, Stuart Robert, or education and learning officers.

“It’s a make any difference for me who I have spoken to and when I have spoken to them,” he stated.

Scott Morrison has confronted repeated concerns about the unorthodox ministerial preparations.

On the first day of the election campaign, the primary minister stated: “Alan Tudge is even now in my cabinet.”

That appeared to contradict a statement on 4 March when Morrison said of Tudge: “Today he has educated me that in the pursuits of his spouse and children and his have wellbeing and in buy to target on his re-election as the member for Aston he is not in search of to return to the frontbench, and I support his conclusion.”

Morrison later moved to clarify that Tudge was “technically” continue to a member of the cabinet, but that he experienced not been receiving a ministerial salary since December.

Pressed on the meaning of “technically”, Morrison claimed: “It usually means that he even now has his warrant as a minister from the governor normal. And as a outcome, he’s formally still the instruction minister.”

The primary minister reported the Victorian MP “stood apart for his own wellness and relatives causes, and when he is completely ready to return to the cabinet then he will”.

Morrison was extra definitive when asked throughout Wednesday’s leaders’ discussion who would be instruction minister if the Coalition was re-elected. “It will be Alan Tudge,” Morrison replied.

Authorities officers confirmed in early April that Tudge remained education minister and was “on leave” even with the performing minister, Robert, executing the functions of the purpose.

Robert has rebuffed requests from Labor’s education and learning shadow minister, Tanya Plibersek, for a pre-election discussion on schooling policy. Robert informed the ABC that Plibersek experienced remaining it also late to ask for this sort of a debate.

Plibersek then tweeted a letter she experienced sent to Morrison additional than two weeks back inquiring for clarity about no matter if Tudge or Robert must be her selected debating husband or wife, specified “ongoing uncertainty mor
e than who in your cabinet has obligation for education and learning policy”.

“I am content to discussion both or each of your ministers,” Plibersek wrote on 22 April.

Earlier on Tuesday, a Sky News journalist located Tudge at the prepoll and done the 1st job interview with the Liberal MP in many months.

Questioned about Labor’s ask for for a discussion, Tudge stated Robert would be “the proper person to do that”.

Questioned why the Office of Finance was negotiating with Miller to get a payment in excess of $500,000, Tudge explained: “As the key minister mentioned, he’s unaware, I’m unaware. It is a make any difference for the Office of Finance.

“I have no details. I have not been known as as a witness. I haven’t been asked to deliver proof and as the primary minister stated, if it concerned me, he would have been designed informed and he has not been manufactured aware.”



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