Nicola RoxonThe Prime Minister's Chief policy adviser John Whelan resigned this week to return to a private legal career. He is regarded as one of the best policy brains in the government. Labor seems to be having a meltdown in employee morale because there have been at least 20 staff resignations in recent weeks. A comment from a staffer who has already left said "You usually get this sort of thing when you lose government, not when you win."
Health Minister Nicola Roxon is understood to have decided not to seek a position on the front bench after the election but she's still in the job. Known for being difficult to work for, her office had the highest number of resignations - Owen Torpey, Mark Ward, Ruth Kearon, Laura Ryan and Katie Hall.
Tanya Plibersek's office lost two and so did Chris Bowen and Warren Snowden. Industrial Relations Minister Chris Evans lost media adviser Joe Scard and there have been many resignations from Penny Wong's office. So what's going on, what's the reason? They all said they were disillusioned with the new government.
Meanwhile, the Coalition will be lapping it up. Liberal MP Scott Morrison said "From experience, they know a train wreck when they see one coming. They don't want to be part of another one".
This is not a mass resignation, it is a purge of media advisers and spin doctors who are seen to have failed the government at the recent election.
ReplyDeleteI'd say it's a case of "If you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen" and they have in droves. Not a happy little vegemite is our Health Minister Nicola Roxon by the looks of the photo.
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