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: 27 November 2012. Volume:686;Page:6771. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
10. 
CHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka) 
 to the  
Associate Minister of Education 
: Was he aware before he signed off on the decision for Novopay to go live that the Ministry of Education’s survey of trial Novopay users found only 37 percent of them believed they were ready for its introduction; if not why not? 
Hon CRAIG FOSS (Associate Minister of Education) 
: 
 No because that operational survey was undertaken 2 months after I received the recommendation from the Ministry of Education and the Novopay board to proceed with the implementation of Novopay. 
Chris Hipkins 
: What date did he first receive the results of the ministry’s survey of trial Novopay users and what date did Novopay actually go live? 
Hon CRAIG FOSS 
: In answer to the second part 20 August was the go-live. I am not aware of the results of that operational survey as part of the lead-up to the go-live. 
Chris Hipkins 
: Did he ask to see the results of any trials or pilots of the Novopay system before signing off on its implementation; if not why not? 
Hon CRAIG FOSS 
: I accepted the recommendation of the Ministry of Education and the Novopay board which dealt with all such issues. They are experts in this field. 
Chris Hipkins 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was very specific. It asked whether he had asked to see the results of any trials or pilots of Novopay before he signed off on its implementation. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is correct. The question did ask that. The Minister’s answer appeared to say that he did not but he had better clarify that. 
Hon CRAIG FOSS 
: Excuse me Mr Speaker. I constantly sought assurance from the Ministry of Education and therefore the Novopay board that the system was ready to go live. They recommended that it was so. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That still did not answer the question. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The question asked whether the Minister actually saw any of the— 
Hon Members 
: Sought. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Sought—I beg your pardon. The Minister has said he did seek assurances from the ministry. To clarify I will let the member repeat his question. 
Chris Hipkins 
: Did he ask to see the results of any trials or pilots of Novopay before signing off on its implementation; if not why not? 
Hon CRAIG FOSS 
: As part of the recommendations to go live I sought and received assurances of security and performance testing training etc. as the Novopay board recommended to me and the Ministry of Education. 
Chris Hipkins 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member may repeat his question. 
Chris Hipkins 
: Did he ask to see the results of any trials or pilots of Novopay before signing off on its implementation; if not why not? 
Hon CRAIG FOSS 
: Specifically no. But forming part of the recommendation a raft of issues was addressed. 
Chris Hipkins 
: What was the point of the trials of Novopay if it was not to establish whether in fact the system was ready to be implemented? 
Hon CRAIG FOSS 
: The system was not trialled. It was tested in parallel with the previous system and the Novopay board and the Ministry of Education recommended that it go live.