Hipkins Chris: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Hipkins Chris: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 15 November 2012. Volume:685;Page:6711. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
7. 
CHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka) 
 to the  
Associate Minister of Education 
: Does he take ministerial responsibility for the problems with the Novopay system; if not why not? 
Hon CRAIG FOSS (Associate Minister of Education) 
: 
 Yes in relation to my education delegation as having oversight of major information technology projects on a case by case basis. 
Chris Hipkins 
: Has he issued instruction for any additional transitional support measures to be put in place for those affected by the problems with Novopay; if so what was the nature of that instruction? 
Hon CRAIG FOSS 
: As I understand the question I cannot issue instruction—the contract is with the Ministry of Education. But if it is whether there is a demand from me for more resources accurate pay on time as expected by the sector then the answer there is yes. 
Chris Hipkins 
: Has he issued any instruction to the Ministry of Education— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! I apologise to the member. Order! I say to the National front benches that I cannot hear the question with that level of interjection. [ 
Interruption 
] Order! I might have to get the Attorney-General to look after the Minister again if the interjections keep going. 
Chris Hipkins 
: Has he issued any instruction to the Ministry of Education for which he has ministerial responsibility to ensure that additional transitional measures are put in place to support those affected by the problems with Novopay; if not why not? 
Hon CRAIG FOSS 
: As I said yesterday if any individuals are suffering economically because of a missed pay or an underpay or they have not been paid yes the ministry has put in mechanisms for them to be paid via the school operations grant. They must contact the school payroll officer or the ministry and it will be addressed and their suffering economically will be made good. 
Chris Hipkins 
: Has he given instruction for any additional support to be provided to the schools that are now being asked to compensate for the problems with Novopay; if he has not done that why has he not done that? 
Hon CRAIG FOSS 
: Again I do not issue instruction but the ministry is. The Novopay team is putting extra resources as requested—as demanded—by me into going around schools particularly those that are having difficulties particularly with workshops around the end-of-year process which are extra resources and facilitation to help the implementation of Novopay. 
Chris Hipkins 
: In light of his delegation as Associate Minister if he is not giving instructions to the Ministry of Education to fix these problems who is? 
Hon CRAIG FOSS 
: There are three parties to this: there is Talent2 the Novopay engine itself and the ministry. I have responsibility for oversight of major technological projects within the ministry. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It was a very direct question—maybe slightly pressuring but direct. It was not answered. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I do not disagree. The member asked “If the Minister is not giving instructions to the ministry to make good some of the underpayments in this system then who is giving the instructions?” and the Minister did not answer that. 
Hon CRAIG FOSS 
: I interpreted “instructions”. I have demanded of the ministry that it gets this right on time and accurately and that Talent2 get it right on time and accurately. It has not been delivered as expected. It is not satisfactory. It will be delivered I am assured by those in the ministry and at Novopay.