In many countries, former children’s services minister Larry Anthony would have been prevented by law from moving straight from being a defeated MP to working for child care giant ABC Learning without a cooling-off period.

Now there are ethical queries surrounding ABC itself – claims that the company has been exploiting a loophole in the child care laws which require operators to meet certain standards by first getting approval as an operator itself, then sub-licensing other businesses to run them.

One source says that Larry’s old department was getting legal advice as to how to stop this just before he got the gig. Now the bureaucrats are said to be far less concerned. Can any industry insiders help with this one?