The head of the Ministry of Education says she is "not happy" with a manager caught on video appearing to suggest staff skirt the law, nor a scathing internal review of the culture in its curriculum division.
It has been a tumultuous week for the ministry, just six weeks ahead of the general election.
It began with a leaked video of senior official Dr Catherine Law telling staff not to put information shared with Education Minister Erica Stanford's office in writing because it could be made public under the Official Information Act (OIA). The leaker said was not an isolated incident.
Then on Thursday, a review prompted by staff concerns reported numerous issues, including allegations of favouritism, unprofessional workplace behaviours and a fear of speaking up.
Leaked video shows Ministry of Education staff being told not to put certain information in writing. (Source: 1News)
Secretary for Education Ellen MacGregor-Reid told Morning Report on Friday she could not explain Law's comments.
"What she said was wrong, she should not have said it. And my expectation is that everyone within the Ministry of Education should be meeting the obligations under the Official Information Act, including that staff member."
MacGregor-Reid said she had commissioned another review and would be meeting with the chief ombudsman after the interview to provide him the terms of reference.
"I'll be providing the ombudsman with our OIA track record. We have responded to a wide variety of OIA's and I'll be fully working with the ombudsman into whatever matters he wishes to look into as well."
She said to the best of her knowledge, no directive to avoid writing material down to escape potential discovery under the OIA had been made.
Host John Campbell put it to MacGregor-Reid that Law's instruction was a reminder of a "pre-existing concept", not a policy she was introducing herself.
"Is this video emblematic of our culture?" he asked.
"What Dr Law said in that video wasn't okay," MacGregor-Reid responded. "Dr Law is not a senior official. Dr Law is not a seasoned public servant. She's come into the ministry on secondment as a school principal for her expertise in education.
"I cannot explain what Dr Law was thinking, but what I can tell you is I have commissioned a review to ascertain whether there is a wider problem."
Since the video was made public, there have been other claims made about attempts within the ministry to avoid OIA scrutiny, some of which Stanford brushed off as ideologically driven.
MacGregor-Reid said those claims had not been put to her, and did not want staff to fear speaking up.
"I always welcome people pushing matters of concern to me… I commissioned that review of the workplace because I could see the pressure the group has been under. It has been working extraordinarily hard. And I commissioned that review because I wanted to hear from people…
"They can speak to me. They will be safe. And if action is needed to be taken as chief executive, I will absolutely take it."
She assured Campbell the review would "absolutely" be put in writing and available under the OIA.
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