Shearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Shearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Sitting date: 14 August 2012. Volume:682;Page:4299. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
1. 
DAVID SHEARER (Leader of the Opposition) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Does he stand by all his recent statements? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Acting Prime Minister) 
: 
 Yes. 
David Shearer 
: Does he stand by his statement that people should not be hung up on the fact that teachers without qualifications will be able to teach New Zealand children at charter schools? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: Yes. 
David Shearer 
: Does he also stand by his statement: “It’s not the class sizes that matter; it’s the quality of teaching that we’re getting in our schools.” and how can he guarantee quality of teachers when teachers will not actually need to be qualified? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: As the member knows the issue of whether teachers are qualified is being discussed in the context of charter schools which will offer an element of choice although a very small element of choice in the general school system. All other schools will continue to run with registered teachers. 
David Shearer 
: When he said after his U-turn on class sizes: “We have to find another way to go to lift those teacher quality outcomes. And we’ll go away and do that.” was having teachers without qualifications what he had in mind? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: In respect of the State-run schools no. In respect of the charter schools it is an aspect of providing choices for young New Zealanders that are not currently available to them. 
David Shearer 
: Did he read the advice from the Ministry of Education on charter schools which said that “There is the challenge of ensuring that students are not put at risk by mentors who are not necessarily subject to professional licensing.”; if so why is he putting students at risk? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: Young New Zealanders are in those terms often working with adults who are not their parents but who are not subject to professional registration in the school system all the time. They go to music classes they go to sports—well in fact they go on sports trips. They spend a significant a material part of their day with people who are not registered teachers but who in my experience do a very fine job of inspiring and motivating our young people. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Standing by his statements why is the Prime Minister maintaining that the first he knew of Kim Dotcom’s name was the day before the police raid on Mr Dotcom’s mansion although that mansion and Mr Dotcom were in his own electorate and Mr Dotcom’s staff had long ago visited the Prime Minister’s electorate clinic—making the Prime Minister possibly the only person in that electorate who had not heard of Mr Dotcom? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: I do not know which statement the member is referring to. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. With respect this was a question about the Prime Minister standing by his statements. If the Deputy Prime Minister does not know the Prime Minister has made statements about Kim Dotcom then I am absolutely astonished. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! That may well be the case but the Minister answered the question. He said he was not aware of those statements and that is an answer to the question—[ 
Interruption 
] I am still on my feet. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am sorry; I was caught by your dipping yet again. The point that I would like to make is that the Deputy Prime Minister was answering on behalf of the Prime Minister and if he is saying that the Prime Minister does not remember making the statement then that would be appropriate but as the Acting Prime Minister he should I think probably differentiate himself from the Prime Minister when he is answering in that way. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I think the member’s point of order is well made—that a Minister answering on behalf of another Minister including the Prime Minister is answering on their behalf and the answer does indicate what the Minister to whom the question was put in this case the Prime Minister would have said unless the Minister answering indicates they are not in a position to know that information. The Minister answering the question may wish to clarify whether he as the Deputy Prime Minister answering on behalf of the Prime Minister was not aware of such statements or whether answering on behalf of the Prime Minister the Prime Minister was not aware of such statements. The Minister may wish to clarify that. 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: On behalf of the Prime Minister I do not know what statements the member is referring to. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I thank the Minister. The Rt Hon Winston Peters. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: How can he—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! I have called the Rt Hon Winston Peters. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: How can the Prime Minister stand by that statement given the revelation in court that the FBI had been monitoring Mr Dotcom for 2 years prior to the raid on his mansion—in the Prime Minister’s electorate—and given that the Prime Minister is the Minister in charge of the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: I do stand by the statement.