Davidson MaramaMARAMA DAVIDSON (Co-Leader—Green): One of the most delightful parts of this morning's debates was when the Hon Nikki Kaye tried to stand up and outline how the Labour Party was not doing a good enough job in education promptly followed by the wonderful Ms Jan Tinetti former principal of Merivale School in Tauranga who said As a principal I can tell you exactly how much nine long years of National did to cut out"—the school that the member comes from in the community that the member came from is one of those struggling very much. The Greens are very proud to see this policy in place. We have always said that we want to see State schools funded to a level that means they are not dependent on the collection of fees or donations. I am advised that this policy ensures that integrated schools are indeed eligible for this initiative. So I'm very pleased to hear that this Government is taking a whole approach to making sure that operational funding which stood shamefully stagnant under National is actually getting some love. What this bill actually does is that boards can either ask for voluntary donations from parents or they can opt in to receive $150 per student under this bill. The bill wants to make sure that there is no double-dipping and so it reserves the ability to recover funds that did not adhere to the criteria of this discretionary grant alongside operational funding. I just thought immediately back to before I became an MP as a single mum having three children to pay school fees for and what incredible stress that did yes to the budget of course but also to the shame and the guilt of wanting to make the best contribution I could for my children and their school who were wanting to do their best for our low-decile community. Understanding that in other schools—and hearing stories about what some other schools were doing to try and recover those fees when they were genuinely struggling and some of the guilt and shame associated with not being able to pay those fees. I remember some schools were also having to take up penalising tactics to try and encourage parents and we should never ever be doing that. This policy will ensure that we don't have to put any child or family into that predicament. Yes I am open to the conversation of seeing how we can in the future look at supporting low-income families from schools outside the decile 1 to 7 range. But why on earth would you bash the whole of this proposal to highlight that that's just a further question to be continued? We're very pleased with the leadership that has been shown finally—finally. We should always see the right to education as an obligation and responsibility for the State and for the Government to ensure that everyone achieves because it's a good thing to do for our future for our present and for building communities and connections—ensuring that all of our children are well equipped for a modern world and for the thinking that is going to be required to address the biggest challenges before us of climate change and inequality and connecting ourselves back to each other and to our planet. So we're very pleased with the leadership and the inspiration shown in this. We look forward to having more conversations about how we can absolutely make sure that all families who are struggling do not need to share this burden on education. Thank you."