Education Minister, Trevor Mallard, needs to come clean with the public over the circumstances behind his sacking of Teachers Council head Kathie Irwin, says National MP, Murray McCully.

Mr McCully, who first raised the issue in Parliament, says Mr Mallard has "a great deal of explaining to do."

"Mr Mallard agreed that the matters I raised in Parliament required proper examination through a State Services inquiry, headed by a retired High Court judge. Now he is saying that new information has been received which caused him to sack Ms Irwin yesterday, but that the inquiry is going to proceed.

"That is just nonsense. Why would the Minister sack Ms Irwin only days before the inquiry is completed, yet continue with what is now a pointless inquiry?

"If the Minister has information which demonstrates that Ms Irwin is not the appropriate person to be the head of his self proclaimed "flagship for ethics and standards in education" then he should share it with thepublic.

"He also needs to explain whose bungle it was which saw Ms Irwin's nomination taken through a full Cabinet appointments process without even the most elementary check with her previous employer. Someone has bungled the Irwin appointment, and Mr Mallard needs to tell us who," says Mr McCully.

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