8. Question No. 8—EducationERICA STANFORD (National—East Coast Bays) to the Minister of EducationQuestion No. 8—Education8. ERICA STANFORD (National—East Coast Bays) to the Minister of Education: What information did her staff provide her after question time on 22 February when they informed her of their correspondence with the Ministry of Education about the release of the term 3 attendance data and when did they first show her their correspondence with the Ministry that was subsequently released to me under the Official Information Act?Hon JAN TINETTI (Minister of Education): To the first part of the question: my staff verbally informed me after question time on 22 February that members of my staff had been in correspondence with the Ministry of Education regarding the timing of term 3 attendance data release. To the second part of the question: I first saw copies of the correspondence the member is referring to when it came to me for sign-out approval under the Official Information Act. I am aware that the member has been suggesting that information shows that my office inappropriately interfered with the release of term 3 attendance data. While I disagree with that allegation to provide greater transparency going forward I have written to the Secretary of Education requesting the Ministry of Education consider publishing a forward-looking timeline on when attendance data will be released for each term on their website.Erica Stanford: How can it be that she said I can categorically tell that member that the Ministry of Education is responsible for the data. I have no say over that." and then still believe that her answers were not misleading when her staff told her that they did play a part in releasing the data after she made those misleading comments?Hon JAN TINETTI: Because I felt that my answers reflected what I was intending them to mean at the time of the delivery which is that the Ministry of Education is responsible for the collation and release of the term 3 data.Erica Stanford: In relation to that answer how can she miss out the last part of her quote which says "I have no say over that." and still believe that her questions were not misleading when her staff told her that they had been in contact with the ministry to delay the release of the term 3 data?Hon JAN TINETTI: As I've just said because I felt my answers reflected what I was intending to mean at the time of delivery which is that the Ministry of Education is responsible for the collation and release of the term 3 attendance data. Mr Speaker you wrote to me following a letter from the member regarding information that was provided to her by my office under the Official Information Act. You requested that I make a personal statement to correct my answers to supplementary questions on 22 February which I have done. You have subsequently written to the member informing her that there was no breach of privilege. I have written to the Ministry of Education asking it to proactively publish when attendance data will be released for each term so this situation doesn't happen again.SPEAKER: The problem with bringing the Speaker into the House is that I have to get up and clarify things. I did not ask you to do that; I just set out that if that was the case then the member can come to correct it. I'll give the member an extra question.Erica Stanford: Thank you Mr Speaker. Can she explain why she didn't know that she'd mislead the House until 1 May when the Speaker contacted her when she signed off an Official Information Act request prior to 11 April containing the very emails showing her staff did delay the release of the term 3 attendance data until after her political announcement?Hon JAN TINETTI: Firstly those emails did not show that. I will say that the emails themselves under the Official Information Act talked about the data coming forward. Secondly what I will say to that member is that I stand by what I thought on that particular day but I stand corrected from advice that was since given to me on 1 May.Erica Stanford: Can she explain to this House how she doesn't believe that her staff were deliberately delaying the release of the data when their email states "The plan is to release it after the announcement—and that announcement is scheduled for Thursday. So Friday would be the day."?Hon JAN TINETTI: Because at the time the Ministry of Education was talking about a much later date releasing that data.Erica Stanford: Did she just believe that the timing of the release of the data at the same time as her political announcement was pure coincidence?Hon JAN TINETTI: I actually think that the data and the political announcement on the same day was coincidence.Erica Stanford: Can she assure this House that her office has not played a part in influencing the timing of the release of the attendance data on any other occasion during her time as Minister?Hon JAN TINETTI: If the member is referring to other data yes I can confirm that."