Speaker: Jeremy Rockliff

Jeremy Rockliff, the Liberal Member for Braddon is the Minister for Education in Tasmania and also the Deputy Premier of Tasmania. Jeremy also holds the portfolios of Sport and Recreation and Mental Health and Well-being, two areas which have significant alignment with the Education portfolio. Jeremy has a diverse background including farming, Life-line counselling, resource management, land care and community sport. He has been described by journalist Sue Bailey as without doubt the nice guy of politics, admired for his steady, calm and easy-going nature.

ACEL Tasmanian Branch and the TPA have appreciated this affability and willingness to participate in our annual Breakfast event for a number of years now. Since taking up the Ministerial responsibility for the critically important Education portfolio in 2014, Minister Rockliff has joined us at a ‘Breakfast with the Minister’ event. After 6 years we are confident that the Minister anticipates this breakfast event with slightly less trepidation than he did to that first one 6 years ago, when he freely admitted his nervousness about what might be directed at him in questions. To the Minister’s credit he did then and at all subsequent events open himself to the floor for questions, taking on board the challenging as well as the benign questions and comments. Minister Rockliff also appreciates the opportunity of this forum to provide for us some background and fore thought about current and imminent Education policy. As there are multiple critical agendas around Education in this State, from Early Learning through to the 9-12 Project and many complexities and multiple perspectives on the what, the how and the why of these agendas – the forum is ripe for some rich discussion. Discussion that may be across the floor after the Minister’s address or around the tables with colleagues from every sector and level of Education.