Got to wonder who’s doing Tolley’s political advice.
First mistake: her office not being aware of a Parliamentary Library paper that came out weeks ago on National Standards.
Second mistake: responding immediately when the Herald brought it to her attention. Should have said ‘thanks, I’ll get back to you’. Then gone and talked to the Speaker.
Third mistake: Responding to Mallard’s clever baiting.
Tolley has now said about this paper:
“unprofessional”, “highly political”, so biased it could have been written by the union, “full of mistakes, opinions and speculation dressed up as facts“.
It’s over the top. Library now risks looking beholden to the government if it bows to her wishes. Can’t do that. It works for all Parliament.
She’s snookered herself. Two possible futures:
Parliamentary Library republishes the paper with the few phrases that annoy her gone = Looks like Library has caved to her attacks. Tolley’s a bully. A censor. Has attacked the Library’s neutrality. Mallard attacks her in the House.
Or they decide the phrases are substantively OK. Professional and objective statements of the limitations of the National Standards. Republishes = Tolley looks like an idiot. Her National Standards further undermined. Mallard gets to embarrass her in the House.
When is our education minister going to learn?
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