Leading education advisers cut ties after cabinet reshuffle

Two key Liberal government education advisers have left their roles following the latest cabinet reshuffle.

Senior schools adviser Scott Prasser.

Two key Liberal government education advisers have left their roles following the latest cabinet reshuffle.

Long-serving senior schools adviser Scott Prasser, who worked for former education minister Simon Birmingham and his predecessor, Christopher Pyne, will not continue under new Education Minister Dan Tehan.

Assistant schools adviser Alithea Westerman, who is understood to have been on maternity leave during the recent turmoil in Canberra, has also departed. News of the changes came as Mr Tehan met state and territory ministers at yesterday’s Education Council meeting in Adelaide, where the focus was funding.

“In line with the (Members of Parliament (Staff) Act), all positions in the minister’s office were made vacant and are currently being filled,” a spokesman for Mr Tehan said. “The minister does not comment on individual staffing arrangements.”

Neither Dr Prasser nor Ms Westerman could be contacted for comment. Dr Prasser has held positions in federal and state governments as well as senior academic positions in Victoria, NSW and Queensland. Before joining the education minister’s office in 2013, he was the inaugural head of the Public Policy Institute at the Australian Catholic University.