Katene Rahui: Christ’s College (Canterbury) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Katene Rahui: Christ’s College (Canterbury) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:667;Page:14228] 
RAHUI KATENE (Maori Party—Te Tai Tonga) 
: 
 I come to the Christ’s College (Canterbury) Amendment Bill today as the MP for Te Tai Tonga recognising the changed context between when this bill came before the Government Administration Committee and this point the second reading. Between then and now—this will be news to members—a massive earthquake struck which caused damage to the older buildings of this high school. 
Grant Robertson 
: Really? Why didn’t anyone tell us? 
RAHUI KATENE 
: Look it is just completely missing from the media. I am sorry but it has happened! Christ’s College is one of New Zealand’s oldest schools being over 160 years old and it was clearly distressing to witness the damage that happened when the chimneys tumbled down into the dining hall below. But like so many communities and families affected by the quake it is not the damage to the bricks and mortar than have stood out in the response to this natural crisis. The spirit of generosity indeed the expression of manaakitanga has been very humbling to observe. I make reference to the support that Christ’s College has offered for example to ULearn. It has opened additional classrooms to ULearn in order to replace the old Cranmer Centre which is now no longer able to be used. 
The ability of Christ’s College to think outside itself and adapt to circumstances is actually at the foundation of this bill which is being presented for debate by the local member Nicky Wagner. Specifically this legislation enables the trustees to change the purposes of the original trusts. The change is required to remove difficulties in administering trusts vested in Christ’s College that can no longer be applied in accordance with the original intentions of donors. There is however a commitment that trust property should still be applied for educational and charitable purposes or near enough to that. But just as Christ’s College opened its gates to consider the needs of ULearn during the aftermath of the earthquake in this bill the college has recognised that the purposes and intentions of donors in the earlier days are no longer relevant to modern times. As Nicky Wagner has pointed out outdated bequests to left-handed rifle shooters sons of World War I and II soldiers and pupils from orphanages really no longer fit the times just as the prizes for sporting events that are no longer run and subjects that are no longer taught no longer fit the times. 
The bill allows trustees to vary the purposes of charitable trusts in certain circumstances. It will also allow the governing body to use for another purpose any excess income from trusts that generate more than is necessary for their donated purposes. That is consistent with the Charitable Trusts Act. The college’s board of governors has assured Parliament that before exercising the power to vary the original purpose of a trust it will complete a detailed review of the trust to ensure for the avoidance of doubt that the original purposes cannot continue to be met fully. 
The Maori Party is happy to support the college in updating the framework upon which its bequests and assets have been given over the years. This bill modifies the 1910 Christ’s College (Canterbury) Act seeking a law change that will enable the school to use the funds it has been privileged to receive in a way that is appropriate for this century rather than the last. We have read the advice of the Government Administration Committee on the bill and we are happy to extend our support for the further progress of a bill that is very much along the lines of providing a necessary and useful update.