Xu-Nan LawrenceDr LAWRENCE XU-NAN (Green): Thank you. Today I would like to talk about some of my favourite things which are processes and appropriate decision making. I would like to use one particular example which is the Education and Training Amendment Bill. At the end of June we had this debate around the fact that we had to shorten the select committee stages for this particular bill that introduces charter school. The Education and Workforce Committee got together and we discussed what the best course of action was.But in this particular case I found it odd for a party and for the Associate Minister of Education—who is all about democracy and all about giving people the voice—to drip-feed information to the New Zealand public as submissions are still going. For example we are seeing that the deadline for the submissions closing for the Education and Training Amendment Bill is meant to be tomorrow. But then just yesterday the Associate Minister dropped a bombshell on us with some amendment while at the same time a number of submissions have already been made. I don't think that is very democratic or very appropriate at all.At the same time what we are also seeing is that before this bill has even gone to the select committee stage the application for conversion to charter schools has already opened as of July 11. That is two weeks before submissions close. That means that presumably there is a level of predetermination. But what does it actually mean for those people who take the time to write submissions take the time to make those kind of applications? If there's any changes would that mean that we then have to go back to those applicants and say Sorry there's been some changes. You may want to reconsider your application." Going to the submitters and saying "Sorry we now have a new little Amendment Paper happening. You may want to resubmit or reconsider your submission." So both people who made submissions and people who made applications are now at a loss as to what to do when the Government and when the Associate Minister drip-feed information on something.This comes to the fundamental issue we're having with a number of the bills that we're seeing going through which is the fact it is rushed it is not well-thought-out it is not going through the process that I expected and the New Zealand public expected from the Parliament.Just a few days ago we saw that the Attorney-General herself wrote a letter saying that there is genuine concern when the Government pushes through legislation at a much faster rate. It says and I quote "rushing legislation and skipping steps increase the risk that we get it wrong and the legislation is ineffective or unworkable in practice."As part of this when we are looking at the bill regardless of what our political inclination is we would like to do the best thing and contribute the most to a particular bill and so we work on this. With this particular bill we have identified some gaps which I think could be addressed—for example the reversion from charter school to State school if it doesn't work. But there's no safety there's no precautions around something like that. Having the applications open and having us being drip-fed the information will only confuse and discombobulate the public about this bill and what we are actually trying to do.Lastly when we're looking at this we talk about the fact that we want students to be at the centre of this but the charter school model is anything but placing the student at the centre. It is about making for-profit companies make more money. The fact they are not allowing for the collective bargaining by unions and they mask it as being for the students—you know what it is for the students and local communities? It is the model we have now with State schools where student representatives are allowed to be on school board.I want to acknowledge those of you who are in the audience today as part of the royal commission of inquiry into abuse in care. One of the recommendations for that is that it is supposed to be student-centred. Student voice is really important and we may not see that with the introduction of charter schools. So this is a serious concern in terms of the rushed process we're having and it should be a concern for all New Zealanders."