Schools Minister, Peter Garrett is a lame duck with reports today that the Prime Minister called on him to resign and he refused to go and now she has confirmed her lack of confidence in him by handing his biggest responsibility to Brendan O’Connor, said Christopher Pyne, Shadow Minister for Education.
“Mr Garrett has embarrassingly been forced to job share his key responsibility of devising a new funding model for schools with another Minister, Brendan O’Conner - a clear indication of the Prime Minister’s lack of confidence in Mr Garrett,” Mr Pyne said.
“When your leader asks you to resign from their cabinet, it is more than a vote of no-confidence - it is a slap in the face,” he said.
“Because Mr Garrett refused to go the Prime Minister has undermined his credibility dramatically by appointing yet another de facto Minister for Schools in Brendan O’Connor. Any self respecting Minister would resign in the face of such a clear slap in the face from their Prime Minister,” he said.
“It is clear the structures of government and functioning of cabinet have now been made dysfunctional to shore up the Prime Minister’s position and avoid a by-election.
“With the Prime Minister flagging 2012 as the year of education reform, she is now stuck with a lame duck Schools Minister she doesn’t trust to do the job. It is an unconscionable position and the Government will continue to be divided.
“Who knows which Minister will be responsible for schools? Teachers, parents and students deserve better.”
