Lee Melissa: Education (Restoration of Democracy to University Councils) Amendment Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeLee Melissa: Education (Restoration of Democracy to University Councils) Amendment Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 02 December 2015. Volume:710;Page:8499. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]MELISSA LEE (National): Thank you for the opportunity to take a call on the Education (Restoration of Democracy to University Councils) Amendment Bill presented by the honourable member for New Lynn across the House. In response to the member who just resumed her seat Tracey Martin from the New Zealand First benches—she is always very passionate about education bills and I commend her for that. But I just want to remind her that there is democracy and then there is democracy. North Korea is called the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea—I will just leave it hanging there. I just want to say that good governance does not need specially mandated seats for all and sundry who demand them. Often there are more who demand them than there are actually places available for them.It is a real shame that this bill has been brought to the House because it fails to take into account the amazing work that our Government and our Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment the Hon Steven Joyce have in fact carried out. It fails to understand the great work undertaken to modernise and promote best-practice governance at all our tertiary learning institutions. The reforms that the Government has actually introduced which will pass into law in February allow universities to take better stock of how they wish to govern themselves. They promote the introduction of smaller skill-based and more productive university councils.I know that different members have actually mentioned the participation of students and staff members as well and I repeat some of the statistics that I know the Hon Maurice Williamson has mentioned. Seven out of the eight universities have one student on their new councils with the remaining institution having two students on its council. As for the staff seven of the eight universities also provide for two staff positions on the councils with the remaining institution having one staff member on its council. It is not mandated; they have done it by choice.The law changes that we on this side of the House implemented just a few months ago ensure that New Zealanders and international students attending our universities will not face deficient bylaws and processes that may affect their study opportunities. Students should be able to learn effectively without the hassles of access bureaucracy and unnecessary intrusions to their formative academic years. For those worried about the loss as I said many of the universities have actually committed to making sure of staff and student participation as well.I just want to talk about one of the things that some universities have also removed and that is something called the Court of Convocation as part of the changes to governing councils. The Court of Convocation is something that not many know about—I did not even know—and nor do many university graduates. It basically elects graduates into its council but the reason that the universities themselves actually abolished it is that graduates with eligibility were often voting in such abysmal numbers and they had terrible turnout. It did not actually reflect the will of the university alumni.So we on this side of the House are keeping our promise to make sure that New Zealand gets the best delivering of education to ensure that we have world-class universities and the people of New Zealand get best practice in leadership in these public institutions. I will be voting alongside my party colleagues in not supporting the advancement of this bill. We will be supporting the current process which is actually working for New Zealand.