Mallard Trevor: Debate on Crown Entities Public Organisations  and State Enterprises — In Committee 
Mallard Trevor: Debate on Crown Entities Public Organisations  and State Enterprises — In Committee 
[Volume:626;Page:21322] 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Minister of Education) 
: 
 I did not think it was possible. I really did not think it was possible. I did not think that Bill English could be a worse ditherer than Don Brash—but he is absolutely. I did not think it would be possible for someone in this Parliament much less in the country to dither more than Don Brash but we have had it from Bill English. He rammed into the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology and criticised it for all its courses— 
Darren Hughes 
: He didn’t enrol? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Well no. I think they have some standards! 
But now something is being done about it and some changes are being made. The jandal has flip-flopped. The wrist has gone the other way and it is almost unbelievable. We knew we had a tired and confused Leader of the Opposition who was very patchy in his approach and pretty hopeless overall. But what do we have now? We have the former Leader of the Opposition working really hard to try to make the present leader look good. [ 
Interruption 
] Well I think Bill English is more of a “Mr Sad” tonight because what he has seen is what a number of us have seen recently— 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: Are you talking about the estimates? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Actually I am talking about the reviews and in particular the review of the performance of Bill English. He has been well reviewed by his caucus colleagues. He relied on Nick Smith to count the numbers yet he complained about a few polytechnics being out of balance. Well relying on Nick Smith to do the numbers is I think a fair sign of where that all sits. 
 But I turn back to the reviews. I think there is not much doubt that Career Services is a particularly tidy organisation. I do want to congratulate Patricia McKelvey on her Queen’s Birthday honour. She has made an enormous contribution to education in New Zealand as the principal of Wellington High School and recently as chair of the board of Career Services. I think she is also on the council of Victoria University. Career Services is a very tidy organisation and I think it is fair to say that if all the other education Crown entities were of the same degree of tidiness we would have some more focus on educational rather than administrative matters in New Zealand. 
I want to thank the Hon Russell Marshall for agreeing to take on the position of chair of the Tertiary Education Commission. He is someone who has a lot of respect in the sector someone who was my predecessor some time ago and someone who worked very closely with the Hon Richard Prebble when they were friends in the Labour Government. They worked very closely together on important issues at some stages and less closely later on. I look forward to the new chief executive arriving for the commission I understand at some stage next month. 
I notice that Mr English has taken a line that I think is rather unwise around Karen Sewell who is a well-respected public servant. She is someone who I think has given following the Rodger review and the initial work of Judith Aitken the Education Review Office the reputation of being an organisation with an iron glove. 
Hon Member 
: She is soft. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: No a velvet glove and an iron fist. On some occasions she is a little soft but as the member who used to be the principal of a college in Northland knows on occasions the Education Review Office is forced to tell the story as it is. It is full and frank and not always desirable and I tell Mr Peters that people are not always comfortable with the reports of Education Review Office. 
Jim Peters 
: Because they are not always reliable. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I know on some occasions people get really bad reports and I am amazed that we have gone all this time with the member as a member of Parliament and no one has had a good look at them. But I have had a read of them. I think it is particularly— 
Hon Richard Prebble 
: Would you like to table them? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Well I think they are on the public record. 
Hon Richard Prebble 
: Oh please! 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: The member could go all high-tech and look them up on the web if he wants to. [ 
Interruption 
] I know we have a couple of very retiring members further back and I am surprised we have had a valedictory speech from Rodney Hide but have not had one from the two members who are going voluntarily. I invite them to take a call and tell us what they care about. 
Reports noted.