Debelle findings ''absolutely set the record straight' - Former education Minister Grace Portolesi

FORMER Education Minister Grace Portolesi says the findings of the Debelle inquiry “absolutely set the record straight” about her handling of sex abuse cases in schools.

Grace Portolesi

FORMER Education Minister Grace Portolesi says the findings of the Debelle inquiry “absolutely set the record straight” about her handling of sex abuse cases in schools.

The royal commission inquiry into sexual abuse in schools by former Supreme Court Justice Bruce Debelle, released on Monday, found Ms Portolesi was not told about incidents and consistently misinformed by department officials.

Ms Portolesi was removed from the portfolio in January, about three months after news broke of a 2010 rape at a western suburbs school that was kept from parents for two years.

The incident happened under the watch of now-Premier Jay Weatherill, who was Education Minister at the time.

It is understood Ms Portolesi — who had long been a loyal ally of the Premier — was devastated by his decision to replace her in education but she has kept quiet since, keeping her head down in her new higher education and skills portfolio.

Today Ms Portolesi spoke to The Advertiser, saying she felt vindicated by Mr Debelle’s findings but had “moved on”.

“The report has absolutely set the record straight about what happened and about my handling of the matter,” she said.

“Mr Debelle’s report highlighted in many ways how I’d been misinformed.”

Asked if she felt the decision to move her from the ministry was unfair, Ms Portolesi said she “loved every minute” of her tenure “despite the challenges”.

“I’ve got a new portfolio now and I’ve moved on,” she said.

Those who worked with Ms Portolesi say she was made a “scapegoat” for problems in the department.

In the wake of the findings, MPs have told The Advertiser they and others believe Ms Portolesi was made a “scapegoat” for problems that were “not of her making”.

Senior figures in the education and child protection fields, who worked with Ms Portolesi, said they were disappointed to see her moved on without finalising reforms.

“I’m sure that that was a political decision that had to be made,” one child protection figure said.

“Did I think it was unfair? Probably yes ... particularly in light of the findings of the Debelle inquiry.

“I was disappointed because some of the directions and reforms that Minister Portolesi had intended weren’t able to be seen through.”

The report by former Supreme Court Justice Bruce Debelle was sparked by a rape case at a western suburbs school in 2010.

Ms Portolesi took over the education portfolio from now Premier Jay Weatherill in October 2011 but did not receive a briefing on the rape case until March last year.

The report states that late briefing was “inaccurate” and Ms Portolesi was at other times, “unbeknown to her”, given “totally incorrect information”.

Mr Weatherill, who replaced Ms Portolesi with current Education Minister Jennifer Rankine, has conceded that “a range of the criticism that Minister Portolesi received was unfair given that she was labouring under the burden of incorrect and incompetent advice”.

However, he argued the reasons she was moved from the portfolio were “much broader … than this issue”.