At Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s press conference announcing the election — somehow we’re already exhausted — there was perhaps only one question that truly piqued our interest: what was the status of former-or-is-that-current Education Minister Alan Tudge?
Tudge supposedly quit the ministry in March when texts surfaced in the Nine papers showing that he had pressured staffer Rachelle Miller — with whom he’d had an allegedly abusive extra-marital relationship — into not disclosing their relationship during a security vetting process. Tudge had “stood aside” from the education portfolio in December last year when the allegations were initially made public.
And yet there was always something a bit vague in his statement that he would not seek a return to cabinet “before the election”. Morrison, seemingly flummoxed by the question, said Tudge was “still a member of my cabinet”. On the ABC this morning, he added that “technically” Tudge never stopped being education minister: “He has his portfolio, we have an acting minister in the education portfolio, he is not being paid as a minister.”
Tudge, far from just “technically” seeing out his term, is apparently welcome back any time — on account of how well he’s done making sure curriculum is not taken “hostage of the far left wing”, an achievement which, given the actual likelihood of any such thing happening, ranks alongside my efforts in preventing Loch Ness Monster attacks.
Morrison was less keen to talk about the settlement the government has had to pay Miller — which was reputedly in excess of half a million dollars.
But the press (and the opposition) clearly have the bit between their teeth on this issue — expect it to rear its head many more times between now and May 21.
