As a school council member I was interviewed by an investigator acting on behalf of the Education Department, as were a number of other council members and school staff. 

After months of apparent inaction I wrote to the Education Minister outlining my concerns about the investigation asking if/when the report would be finalised. I received what you would call a “form letter” response. 

Our principal finally resigned.

The investigation report was never released. Indeed it was never revealed if in fact the report was ever finalised. As a school community we were left with no indication if what was alleged was fact or fiction. 

The principal never taught in the Victorian system again, the family left the city and and I as a school council member was left with a bitter feeling of justice denied. 

I am unsure what became of the person who made the allegation(s) against the principal but as no report was ever forthcoming I have no idea how they must have felt; no result one way or the other.

Given what has occurred with the investigation at Bendigo South East College it would appear the Education Department is still incapable of undertaking an investigation that is fair and just for all involved.

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Timing is everything in politics we are told. But two incidents - one very recent, the other a little later - are enough to make the most cynical of people ask: has parliament become a total play thing.

One is the latest by-election fiasco, with the AEC  taken by surprise (if you can believe that, most don’t) and the fact that it is going to take 63 days to organise these elections. If a trip to the Governor General to call a federal election can happen in 33 days, why does it take 63 days to organise five by-elections? One guess.

The other situation is the Katy Gallagher decision. This matter was referred to the High Court on December 6, 2017. So why did this decision take five months to come to fruition? And why was the judgement released the day after the 2018 Federal budget? Coincidence or, allegedly, planned. 

Is it any wonder most people have had the antics of this government up to the neck. The Banking Royal Commission results surprised very few. I would suggest a federal ICAC Royal Commission would surprise even less.  Do us a favour, Malcolm, call an election so we can clean out the gutter.

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To eradicate problems of any kind, we have to try to find what is causing them. If we are treating just their symptoms, we are only softening their impact (scratching the surface). But our knowledge is limited, often we are tumbling in the dark. So we keep soldiering on, doing the best we can.

It takes individuals with an outstanding vision to diagnose problems and find ways to solve them. But we tend to disregard their discoveries, because they are too far advanced for us and we are not able to appraise them.

Subsequently people are going to countries in which their discoveries are more likely to be recognized.

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