1. Charter Schools—Legislative Reform and Potential ClosuresRt Hon BILL ENGLISH (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSCharter Schools—Legislative Reform and Potential Closures1. Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government's policies?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister):Yes.Rt Hon Bill English: In light of her statement that we want to say hand on heart we want to be a society judged on how we look after our vulnerable" is she aware that many of the children in partnership schools are vulnerable so why is she moving to close those schools?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As I said yesterday we are working as closely as we can with those schools to transition them to make sure that those children have the best-quality education and that includes making sure they have registered teachers and they're being taught the curriculum.Rt Hon Bill English: When the Prime Minister uses the word "transition" is she aware that the legislation her Government introduces certainly closes the partnership schools—it makes their closure absolutely certain because legislation will be passed to achieve it—but there is no guarantee those schools will be able to reopen?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: It ends the model. It stops future contracts. But it still allows this Government to negotiate with those schools to try and keep them open if they are willing to have registered teachers and to teach the curriculum.Rt Hon Bill English: What guarantee can she give to the students and parents of the partnership schools which she is legislating to close that they will be allowed to reopen with some other status?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As we've said we're stopping any opening in the future. With those who are currently operating we've said we want to work constructively with them. There is the ability for them to operate as special character schools or even perhaps as alternative education operators and providers and that's the work that the Ministry of Education is undertaking with them as we speak. What I would like to give them is the assurance that we are working diligently on this. I know that some of the rhetoric coming from the Opposition isn't helping with their security but that's what we're doing.Rt Hon Bill English: Can I ask the question again. What guarantee can the Prime Minister give that a partnership school will be able to reopen a guarantee that is necessary for the peace of mind of the students and the parents who attend those schools and may not be familiar with the legal niceties she's referring to?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As we've said I can assure those parents if the school in which their child is attending is willing to have registered teachers to teach to the curriculum and to operate with the same kind of funding parameters generally speaking as State schools then that is exactly what we are seeking from those schools. Ultimately those parents will want to probably have those same assurances from those current providers because a lot of this decision sits in their hands too.Rt Hon Bill English: Is it now the case that if the schools close it's the schools' fault not the Government's and that she won't actually offer a guarantee that schools will be able to reopen and therefore parents and students should be told the truth now rather than be misled through months of complex legal negotiations?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: If these schools have at their heart the best education for their kids then I imagine they should be able to transition.Hon Chris Hipkins: Is the Prime Minister aware that existing partnership schools are being urged to close rather than negotiate with the Ministry of Education in good faith and that that urging is coming from Opposition members of Parliament?SPEAKER: No no. I'm going to disallow that supplementary. I think the Leader of the House has a special standard and he's going to stick with it.Rt Hon Bill English: Will the Prime Minister take the opportunity to visit Pacific Advance Senior School as I did on Monday talk to the staff and the students hear the stories of the way that school has changed the lives of those 13- 14-year-old girls and 16- 17-year-old boys of whom as the Government says there's only 1000 so it won't matter much—SPEAKER: Order!Rt Hon Bill English: Will she visit a school look them in the eye hear the stories and reassure them that the Government guarantees the continuation of that school?SPEAKER: Order! Order! I am going to let the Prime Minister answer it but I am also going to remind the father of the House that in the last couple of weeks I'd like him to set a very good example which involves succinct questions and just to warn people especially sitting very close to him if they ask one that long it will be ruled out.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That assumes that I haven't met and spoken to students from charter schools and those who teach there before—I have. In fact just a few weeks ago I had a conversation with someone who works in a charter school where they said they were absolutely confident that because they have registered teachers and teach the curriculum they could transition and will.Rt Hon Bill English: Is the Prime Minister aware that as part of this shambles education officials told a select committee this morning that the closures could cost up to $15 million?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again the constant framing from the Opposition around closures when this Government is working—Hon Dr Nick Smith: It's your law. It's your bill.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Let me explain to Mr Smith if he listens closely: we will not enter into any future contracts. We will negotiate with existing schools to try and transition them. It is that side of the House that is scaremongering and trying to cost the taxpayer money.Rt Hon Bill English: So is the Prime Minister unaware first that her legislation guarantees the closure—legislates the closure—of the schools and secondly that the Government will have contractual obligations of up to a million dollars per school if the schools are closed as partnership schools regardless of the nature of a transition?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I know that the member understands this. We're ending the model. That doesn't stop the ability of a school to start operating as a school of special character.Hon Nikki Kaye: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.David Seymour: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: A point—was Nikki Kaye's a point of order or a question?Hon Nikki Kaye: A point of order. The Prime Minister did not answer the question by the Leader of the Opposition. There were twofold points there and she should answer the question.SPEAKER: I think she addressed the question which is the requirement.David Seymour: I seek your guidance: at what point—SPEAKER: No. The member will sit down. It's not the Speaker's role to do tutorials here; I'm willing to give the member one in my office later.David Seymour: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I'm not seeking your guidance. I want to know: at what point is the Prime Minister misleading the House when she introduces legislation—SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat and he's lost his supplementaries for this week. He knows well that to accuse a member of misleading the House in the House in that manner is disorderly. If he's got any supplementaries left for this week he doesn't anymore."