Thank you Minister.

Can I just how disappointed I am at the cabinet reshuffle today. It's all about politics, not about the right person for the job, and even in political party's, the slicing and dicing about who deserves this and who gets that, who gets my retribution is played just as hard as across debating table.



But there are opportunities to be a cut above all that, and also recognise a remarkable contribution one man has made to his portfolio. Adrian Piccoli is our local rep in the State House, and for the last 6 years he has held one of the most critical and important jobs there is. he has responsibility for Early Childhood and School Education. Prior to the Government being elected to govern he was also the Shadow Minister for Education. Today's edition of The Guardian, (29th January, 2017) added this when reporting the reshuffle.

(The loss of Piccoli is likely to anger the education sector. Piccoli was widely respected as a talented and knowledgeable education minister, one who strongly supported needs-based funding and engaged closely with stakeholders. He became known as a stronger backer of Gonski, a policy also championed by his new boss, Berejiklian. (Read Here)

And when both the new Premier and the Nat's leader then add this praise to the Minister, why, if he is such a success in his portfolio, would you remove him.  You select the reset option when something is wrong, not when it is working and getting better. 

"Berejiklian said Piccoli had been “outstanding” in education and the deputy premier and Nationals leader, John Barilaro, described him as one of the best education ministers in the world. “Minister Piccoli has done an outstanding job in education and after six years I am really pleased that Rob Stokes is stepping up,” Berejiklian said. “Rob Stokes will be a phenomenal minister for education. He is as passionate about Gonski as I am, as minister Piccoli was.” Barilaro said it was time for a “reset” in the portfolio.  “Today there is an opportunity to refresh,” he said. “Adrian has been a fantastic minister for six years but today is a chance to reset, refresh.”

I know that this guy has lived and breathed his portfolio and understands that the greatest difference we ever make is not to the children of middle class families where everything seems hunky dory, but it is made if we focus our gaze long enough on those communities who sit at the fringe, children born into economic or social disadvantage or who are Aboriginal or Torres Straight Islander. I know there are locals who are peeved that he doesn't wave the poor hard down by Griffith flag enough, he looking at what a future state and nation will need to succeed into the next century. Communities that have their hub a school that gives every opportunity for ALL children to succeed and for them to have access to the best resources including quality facilitators of learning. 

He has a passion that is welcome.  He knows that kids respond when they are listened to and their learning needs are met.  He also knows that sometimes communities do not understand the need to progress or rethink their ideas about how learning occurs now and how it will look into the future. He has even enabled communities to have a greater say in how schools are built, and made sure that they had all the info to do so. 

From my vantage point, Early childhood, I believe his greatest achievement was moving the early childhood sector from DoCS which is primarily a welfare department, to the education portfolio. Where it has always belonged.  This has enabled (and reminded) the rest of the education sector that the most critical years for educational and life achievement are laid down well before children commence formal school education.  We still have achieved the combining of the DET Preschools with the rest EC sector, but we are pretty much ok with the Early Childhood Education Directorate. 

Adrian also was the catalyst behind real change on funding for the EC sector especially preschools. For most preschools across the state there are more smiles than frowns, because the funding pie got a little bigger and the formula for sharing out the pie became a little fairer. Most families using preschool across NSW and who commence next week, will find the fees have gone down. Some a little and some a lot, for families who are more vulnerable they will get even more support, and that we hope will give then an opportunity to say we can now afford another day. 

Adrian has had to weather some Telegraph Journos personal vendetta against him, but that dude is way off the mark and he knows it. I have been in communities that Adrian has been and seen the same things he has, and as is his right he tells it like he see s it and if off needs resolving, the will find a way (or a minion will ) He was castigated because he told the truth about Walgett High School and resolved to fix it for the families and community , and last October it reopened and is a very different learning space, East Moree Public School should have been condemned, he told he was astounded the dept had not pushed it over. Last year it moved into its new facilities and its not a school off an existing dept roll out, but this was designed with the local community sitting in and advising from the very start. 

Last October he addressed the NSW Principals Conference and it is remarkable speech , and I am told it was a standing ovation at the end, I have heard it a couple of times, all I do is cry - because passionate people talking about what they love and believe always make me tear up. This dude jumped on the reforms of Gonski and signed up, because he knows that's whats going to make a difference he said something else. He believes governments have a responsibility to fund the fundamental foundations of society properly and not play politics. 

"I recognise the Commonwealth has a budget problem. Australia can’t afford huge budget deficits with no end in sight. But time and time again as I travel across NSW I hear people saying “education is an investment, not a cost”. Budgets are moral documents. They lay out in numbers what our country is."

In all great speeches there is a emotional element and this speech had many but none was more effective than a simple demonstration of how this man has engaged with children and families and teachers. "Jake's Story" is an example of why this guy is unique and why he has been the best Education Minister we have had for many many years, The success is partially because its him, and also because the department have been dealing with this guy for a long time and that has to bring stability. . 

"....But these aren’t the best of times for Jake. In the middle of last term a close relative of his was murdered – which led to the five weeks off school. On the plus side, Dad’s at home at the moment. He got out of jail recently and is the only person who can control his behaviour. At school Jake is often in trouble for being aggressive, swearing, throwing things at people. Out of school, it’s worse: he basically does what he wants. At seven he is already roaming the streets in bad company. There are a thousand things going on in this boy’s life outside the school gate. But when he does sit in class, when he does focus, Jake does well. The principal told me: “He’s a smart little boy and given the opportunity to engage with the class he goes well. 

 So I sat on the floor with him. The writing Jake showed me had the sorts of things teachers look for – capital letters and full stops. Most of the spelling right, the letters pretty well made out. His story was simple – but depressing: “My Dad gave me a heap of money. My Mum bludged it off me to buy beer.”

When we talk about funding we talk in figures of millions and billions like they were just numbers on a balance sheet. We can often lose sight of boys like Jake. I’m sure most of you can cite similar examples. But I am not going to stand by and let boys and girls like Jake be short-changed or forgotten. "

The change and success that has been delivered in this revitalised Department of Education and Communities is because of his passion, his knowledge and because for the last six years the department have had one man at the helm, not a rotating political assignment for a few months.  I know each new boss likes to put her stamp on the state  but I'm disappointed that she has seen fit to give this guy a holiday on the back bench, I hope that she gives instruction that the vision for education that Adrian delivered on and believed in is to be continued. 

Thank you Adrian for a remarkable contribution to this State and Nation you have made, it will make a difference to the lives of children well into the distant future, even more so for children who are indigenous and those who are vulnerable, you set these children to continue to succeed through school because you invest in them as young children, I also thank you for your support the EC sector, you have delivered big time, in fact our little preschool in the building beside your local office will this year have the lowest fees it has offered for many years. Our fees for vulnerable families will be just $5 a day and our highest fee will be $16 a day. 

Most of all thank you for your counsel and support. You get a GOLD Star .