The more I look at this question, the stronger becomes my feeling that the old criminal conviction is very much a red herring which is diverting attention from the most important issues.

We have excellent, explicit guidelines covering the advertising, selection and appointment of public servants. In the case of Michael Coutts-Trotter, no such process has apparently taken place and the appointment was made without being advertised and without any search for qualified candidates. As a result, the man now running our State Education Department has no qualifications or experience as an educator. How does he hope to be able to direct and co-ordinate the activities of senior department staff if he has no idea what is involved in the job. Answer here, is that he cannot.

He has said he is willing to learn on the job. That's well and good, but there will most certainly be qualified, experienced and skilled education administrators out there somewhere, who would be better suited to this position. On the job training does have its limitations and our kids education should not be at risk while this man is still on a learning curve.

Then there is the question of the appointment process itself which is in clear breach of PS guidlines. This matter needs to be referred to the ICAC, whose job it is to investigate apparent failures in the observance of proper standards of public administration.

Coutts-Trotter was merely punished for his criminal activities. Punishment in no way “wipes the slate clean”. He did what he did, and he was dealt with accordingly. Living a better life after the event does not expunge the crime. There must be any number of people – even in NSW – without a criminal record who could do the job. Most people manage to get through life without becoming criminals.

Try getting a teaching job with his background. You will not get one! But the moronic ALP politicians who gave him the job have overlooked that. Of course, Iemma & Co. know that they can do as they please, now that they were re-elected, despite demonstrating that have no damn right to be in government or managing a council dump for that matter.

The few sensible people left in NSW who realised that they didn’t have to vote ALP just because they didn’t like the alternative are probably heading for the borders – if they are still there.

The stupidity and complacency of Australia voters never ceases to amaze!

I was reluctant to post upon this topic because of the seeming inevitability of criticism in relation to the procedure of the appointment carrying over as personal criticism of the appointee. However, a post by OLO contributor Kieran on another thread in respect of this appointment makes a most important point: Kieran observes of the appointee that he is "..., a man ...... WHO COULD NEVER QUALIFY AS A SCHOOL TEACHER because of his earlier criminal background and gaol for using and selling heroin." See http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=5679#77245

If Kieran is legally correct in his observation, what a shocking insult to the entire teaching profession, from amongst whom would normally be expected to come the bulk of qualified applicants for the position! But, silly me, I am forgetting that the position was not advertised.

Morris Iemma said on election night that he had got the message from the electorate. If this appointment is anything to go by, I don't think he has. Unless, that is, he is following the dictum of "give a man enough rope and he might hang himself". Speaking, of course, with respect to John Della Bosca, who made the appointment.

For, you see, this is Della Bosca's style. Several elections past an ALP senator who had been appointed to a senate vacancy resigned to contest the Federal seat of Robertson. It was Belinda Neale, and she lost. Then followed an attempt to have her endorsed for the NSW seat of Peats, then, and still, held by ALP member Marie Andrews. Nobody told the public that Belinda Neale was Mrs Della Bosca, but the school-gate grapevine did. The news did not go down well, for everyone knew, politics aside, what a genuinely good job Marie Andrews did as a local member, particularly for those schools.

It is generally bad karma to try to usurp a sitting member's seat. Part of that attempted usurpation involved creation of an elongated seat of Lake Macquarie, previously held by the ALP, now lost. Who was responsible? Surely not John Della Bosca?

Forrest, one can look everywhere for opinion on this appalling appointment, but we just see people, politicians and groups like the NSW Teacher's Federation falling for the spin of "redemption" which takes centre stage. This chap may have exceptional qualities as a spin doctor but does that qualify for the top educator in NSW? What does he know about curriculum, ways of learning, standards and assessment systems, policies, content, methodology, etc etc ?

This newly elected Iemma government looks like filfth because it did not receive a mandate to destroy recognised public processes and the trust of the people. Like, how do you tell the teachers and children of NSW schools that the top educator is a spin doctor with no educationalist qualifications and was only selected because he is someone's mate?

The spin seems to be working quite well. The story appears dead in the mainstream media. Actually, Wednesday to Friday last week, when the story was really attracting the most attention, ABC Radio news completely ignored it. Did not get a mention. hmmm... Haven't heard anything from Barry O'Farrell

Crikey has a story http://www.crikey.com.au/Politics/20070417-Della-Bosca-and-Coutts-Trotter-safety-in-numbers.html

Purely as a hypothetical, if Michael needs to attend a conference in the USA, will they give him a visa considering he has a narcotics trafficking conviction?

There is not one honest person that I know of within the current ranks of the Department of Education who could be appointed to Director-General. This Department has been treating whistleblowers shockingly for years and breaking the law relating to documents on which blatant lies appear about employees. These documents are often sent to HealthQuest, the government medical office in an attempt to have these troublesome employees certified insane as punishment for speaking up about various things. See the Val Kerrison case on wbde.org and read the documents showing the trail of corruption for yourself. This is a department where all those at the top levels need to be sacked. I hope Mr Coutts-Trotter has the courage to do what has needed to be done for years. There are also a few 'teacher welfare officers' out there who have placed lies and misinformation on people's files in order to get revenge on them for something they said or did that the Department did not approve of. This is no way to run a government department. Even when the Premier writes to the Department asking for information about teachers experiencing problems with them, they have the nerve to repeat the lies in letters to the Premier to cover up for themselves. They have to go. I am glad the appointment is not of someone who would continue to cover up the corruption that is happening.