Queensland’s Liberal-National government has ousted 2 union-linked board members from the state’s curriculum board with the intention of replacing them with conservative figures, including the founding chair of the lobby group known as Advance.
The education minister, John-Paul Langbroek’s office, confirmed on Thursday, 13th November, that the Queensland Teachers’ Union president, Cresta Richardson, and the branch secretary of the Independent Education Union of Australia, Terry Burke, will both be removed from the Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority Board.
The vacant positions would be replaced by long-term former diocesan director of Catholic Education Leesa Jeffcoat and James Power—a Queensland businessman, hotelier, & nephew of Power Brewing founder Bernie Power.
Jeffcoat moves with over two decades of senior roles in the Queensland Catholic education system for the diocese of Rockhampton.
Meantime, Power also sustains strong ties with the Catholic community. He has recently made a foray into establishing his own school—St. John Henry Newman College. This school has been described as ‘geared to the classical, western tradition’ & is expected to open next year in 2026.
Power was also the inaugural chair & a founding backer 7 years back in 2018 of the lobby group Advance. At the time of its launch, Power was personally advocating against Brisbane’s Tattersall’s Club admitting women as members.
Advance has been actively campaigning against the 2050 net zero emissions targets and has recently supported hardline anti-immigration campaigns.
The Crisafulli government has also appointed the former principal & regional director of the education department—Mark Campling—to the role of chair of QCAA. This was after the sudden resignation in June of the previous chair, Carol Nicoll, after investing 11 years on the board.
Both Richardson & Burke learned about their ousting & replacements only from media reports on Thursday, 13 November morning.
Burke shared with Guardian Australia that he was somewhat surprised to learn of his removal from the board through an article in The Australian. Burke added that he had always attempted to extend courtesy to people he dealt with, so he was of the view that he might likewise have received some extent of courtesy in return.
Meantime, Richardson believed that Queenslanders expect board appointees in key positions to have experience, understanding & strong relationships in the education sector. Richardson preferred to let the community judge this decision and the qualifications of the new appointees, besides the manner in which the entire process has been handled.
These changes come amid a breakdown in enterprise bargaining negotiations between Queensland public school teachers & the Crisafulli government, with teachers in October voting overwhelmingly to reject the government’s final offer of an 8% pay hike, spread over 3 years.
February witnesses the beginning of Enterprise bargaining negotiations, which are now heading towards arbitration at the Fair Work Commission. As such, union members have undertaken industrial action during this year, with further strikes anticipated.
The QCAA board cull also follows a high-profile bungle in which 140 students at 9 schools had spent their last weeks of year 12 in preparation for a final exam on the wrong Caesar.
The education minister, Langbroek, described the changes at QCAA as a fresh start. Langbroek was also of the view that the QCAA board needs a diverse skill set that includes educational leadership, governance & strong communication skills, promising that was what the changes were expected to deliver. Langbroek went on to advocate that it was about ensuring all Queensland students have access to a world-class education, no matter where they reside, while briefing the Australian newspaper.
Burke was meantime quoted to have said that he was disappointed at the suggestion that there were no qualities that he had infused into the role, adding that frankly, it was the job that he was doing every day.
