Legislative Assembly Privileges Committee

Persons Referred To In The Legislative Assembly
Professor John Power
Ms Ann Morrow
31^st October 2002

Ordered To Be Printed
By Authority
Government Printer For The State Of Victoria

No. 3 - Session 2003

Members Of The Committee

Mr P. J. Loney, MP Chair
Hon J. W. Thwaites, MP Deputy Chair
Hon R. F. Cooper, MP
Mr T. J. Holding, MP
Hon R. J. Hulls, MP
Hon R. R. C. Maclellan, MP
Mr N. J. Maughan, MP
Mr D. A. Nardella, MP
Mr A. F. Plowman, MP

Staff

Mr G. H. Westcott, Clerk of Committees, Legislative Assembly
Ms L. Choat, Manager, Procedure Office, Legislative Assembly

REPORT

On 17th June 2002 Professor John Power and Ms Ann Morrow wrote submissions to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly seeking redress under Sessional Order 7 relating to the protection of persons referred to in the Legislative Assembly.
The submission referred to statements made by the Honourable Philip Honeywood MP, in the Legislative Assembly on 17th April 2002. The Speaker, having accepted the submission as a submission for the purposes of the Sessional Order, referred it to the Committee on 8th July 2002.
The Committee met in private session on 9th October 2002 and, pursuant to Sessional Order 7(2), decided to consider both submissions. After considering both submissions the Committee resolved to accept a joint application for a right of reply from both Professor Power and Ms Morrow.
On 28th October 2002 the Committee received a joint application for right of reply from both Professor Power and Ms Morrow. The Committee met again in private session on 30th and 31st October 2002 and agreed to a right of reply. In agreeing to the attached response, the Committee did not consider it necessary to consult either with both Professor Power and Ms Morrow or the Hon Philip Honeywood.
The Committee draws attention to Sessional Order 7(6) which requires that, in considering a submission under this Sessional Order and reporting to the House, the Committee shall not consider or judge the truth of any statements made in the House or in the submission.

Recommendation

That a joint response by Professor Power and Ms Morrow, in the terms specified at Appendix 1 and agreed to by Professor Power and Ms Morrow and the Committee, be published with this report.

Committee Room
31^st October 2002

Appendix 1

Response By Professor John Power and Ms Ann Morrow
Agreed To By Professor John Power and Ms Ann Morrow And The Privileges Committee
Pursuant To Sessional Order 7 Of The Legislative Assembly

Statement:

…no other Victorian university or TAFE institute management has closer links to the ALP, especially the current Bracks government, than that of RMIT….Helen (Praetz) is a well-known refugee from former Premier Joan Kirner's education ideological mafia, along with Anne (sic) Morrow and Anne's well-known husband, John Power, each of whom has coincidentally done very well from RMITs payroll, either directly or indirectly, and who form part of the vanguard of ideological warriors who caused the Victorian education system so much pain and suffering in the early 1980s…(and are) part of the cabal - the ALP mates network… (Hansard, 17th April 2002, Hon P Honeywood MP)

Response:

There can be few accusations more damaging to the reputation of career academics and public servants in the education area than that they have acted as agents for the political corruption of a University, and that they have caused pain and suffering to the education system. In response, we proffer the following facts:

ALP membership

Morrow has never belonged to any political party; Power terminated his membership of the NSW ALP 35 years ago.

Association with the Bracks Government

Other than a small technical consultancy by Power in 2000, neither complainant has had any professional association with the Bracks government.

Association with RMIT

Although he was for a few months in 1997 an Acting Dean, Power has never been a member of the central decision-making group at RMIT. Morrow has never received either a salary, or a consultancy fee that has been paid by RMIT.

Association with Premier Joan Kirner

Neither Morrow nor Power has ever been a member of an 'education ideological mafia'. While both support the thrust of the Blackburn Report, Morrow and Power point out that neither was associated in any way with the preparation of that report. As a career public servant in the 1980s and 1990s, Morrow sought to do no more than implement the policies of the legitimate governments of the day.