Parata HekiaHon HEKIA PARATA (Minister of Education): It is fascinating how obsessed the Opposition is with what is happening in the National Government. That is because there is so much happening in the National Government and so little happening in the Labour Party. That is why the attention is focused over here. I am proud to be part of a Government that is governing for the 21st century. We are fully a part of the present and we are also focused on the future. That is why for instance we have invested so much as a Government into science and innovation. We know that that will underpin the economy of New Zealand and grow prosperity for all. When Steven Joyce and I announced our Science and Society project in 2014 we were interested in how we could invest in a nation of curious minds as opposed to a bench of pathetic minds. We are really into how we grow the inquisitiveness of New Zealanders. We have invested $760 million in this year's Budget to show that we are prepared to put taxpayers' money into what will count in growing the future of our country. In addition we have a very active regional economic development programme. This includes our partners the Māori Party. As we go around the country we support local communities to identify what will work for them now and into the future and how we can invest to ensure that we are growing strong regions which will lead to overall national prosperity. This is underpinned by the extraordinary and untiring work that our Prime Minister does internationally. He goes out there he makes connections that then set things up for our other Ministers to secure trade agreements which will then allow for the export industries off the back of our regional economies supported by our science and innovation. And what is the critical exponential catalyst for growing all of that? It is education. Yesterday in the House I introduced the biggest update of education that there has been in almost three decades. For a start it focuses on children. It puts them at the heart of our education system. Next it provides for a mechanism called a national education learning priorities statement which will allow for the Government to set out what the strategic objectives are for early learning and for schooling. The particular issue that has exercised the Opposition because it has lost touch with its own policy proposals is that we are enabling a legal identity for communities of online learners. How anyone could be opposed to that given the fact that we live in a digital technological society and how important it is that our young people in particular but actually all of us—although I am a little sad at how many Luddites there are amongst us who think that there is only one medium of learning. There is a whole range of them and different ways appeal to different young people. This Government is not prepared to risk the failure of any young New Zealander so we are prepared to look at what the range of options is. Someone from the Opposition has said that this is a tragic social experiment. I would commend to historians that that was what was said when education was extended to the working classes: This is a tragic dangerous social experiment." I am appealing to the Opposition to join us in the 21st century where people use digital technology all the time—indeed we had the Assistant Speaker having his technology interrupt the House earlier today. What I am committed to is disruption: disrupting the way that education is delivered in order that young people can start to see their own potential and be able to secure the jobs that are coming out of the information and communications technology industry. The demand for that from our businesses in New Zealand is powerful and we want our young people to take advantage of that. We want more Frances Valintines of the Mind Lab; we want more Rod Drurys of Xero—people who are based here in Aotearoa New Zealand and are selling to the world using intellectual capital and the digital platform that this Government has seen the power for in investing into every one of our schools. This National Government led by the inspirational and aspirational John Key is governing for the 21st century. Thank you."