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: 26 February 2013. Volume:687;Page:8165. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
11. 
CHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: Does she stand by all of her statements? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA (Minister of Education) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Speaker. Yes. 
Chris Hipkins 
: Does she stand by the commitment she gave to parents in Christchurch that students beginning intermediate this year would be able to finish their 2 years at intermediate school before any closure decisions would take effect; if not why not? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: As I have said repeatedly in every school meeting that I held at the 35 schools I repeated that they were proposals in front of them and that they would have the opportunity to make submissions on them which 31 schools did. 
Chris Hipkins 
: Is she calling the parents principals teachers and members of the public who attended those meetings and who claim that they were given that commitment liars? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: No I am not. Look this is a very difficult situation in Christchurch and schools are naturally some of them disappointed. But I can unambiguously say that I made it clear on every occasion that these were proposals and that is reflected in the fact that we received 31 submissions. 
Chris Hipkins 
: If she is not calling those people liars and accepts that she did make that commitment why has she broken her promise by now deciding to now close three Christchurch intermediate schools at the end of this year only 1 year after many of those students started there? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: Well that member can attempt to reframe what I am saying as many times as he would like but I am very very very clear that I told every school community that these were proposals. We funded the consultations. We received the submissions. I did not give a commitment other than these were proposals. 
Chris Hipkins 
: Will she give parents teachers and students in Christchurch a commitment that appropriate facilities at least equivalent to what they have now in their present schools will be available to the students at their new schools at the beginning of next year; if not why not? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: Yes. 
Chris Hipkins 
: Does she stand by all of her statements to Cabinet recommending that Wanganui Collegiate School not be integrated; if not why not? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: I sought Cabinet input on a difficult decision and I appreciated that and I am comfortable with the decision I then made to integrate Wanganui Collegiate School. 
Chris Hipkins 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That was not actually the question that I asked the Minister. I asked whether she stood by all of the statements that she made to Cabinet. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I think on this occasion the Minister has adequately addressed your question. 
Chris Hipkins 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Is the member questioning my ruling? 
Chris Hipkins 
: I am indeed Mr Speaker. How could that possibly be addressing the question? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I spoke last week to the House and I am not going to relitigate and reinterpret questions and answers because that would attempt to bring the Speaker into the debate. I will listen very carefully to every question I will listen very carefully to every answer and I will determine whether I think that question has been satisfactorily addressed. On this occasion I think the Minister has satisfactorily addressed the question. It is not for me to design the answer to the satisfaction of the member. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Can you give the House an assurance that you will also follow your predecessor’s practice of watching the video replays of these rulings to ensure that you get them right? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No I cannot give that assurance. I certainly do go back and study the  
Hansard 
 very carefully. Is there any further point of order on this matter? 
Dr Russel Norman 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Your predecessor actually used the language of “answer” the question rather than “address” it. I am just wondering whether we should read anything into the fact that you are saying you are requiring Ministers to address the question whereas Dr Lockwood Smith said Ministers must answer the question. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: If the member wants to refer to the Standing Orders he will see it is a requirement that the question be addressed. To try to attempt to design the answer to answer the question to the satisfaction of the member asking is something that would be beyond the previous Speaker and probably beyond the current Speaker as well. 
Chris Hipkins 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Is it on this matter? 
Chris Hipkins 
: It is. I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The previous Speaker indicated that members on this side of the House could expect an answer in accordance or in line with the type of question that was asked. So if it was a very straight question we could expect a very straight answer. If it was a political question it would be a political answer. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: And I have ruled that the Minister has satisfactorily addressed the question.