Smith Lockwood: Education Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Smith Lockwood: Education Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:630;Page:2647] 
Dr the Hon LOCKWOOD SMITH (National—Rodney) 
: 
 The Committee of the whole House is at a very interesting stage tonight. The Education Amendment Bill is important legislation. The number of amendments that different parties in the Chamber have put forward on the bill show its degree of importance to members. So we can establish that the bill is important to them. 
The next point I make is that for a bill that has been through the full select committee process the number of amendments now before the Committee is quite unusual—even from the Minister of Education. Parts of the bill are now facing significant amendment—even amendments proposed by the Minister—that have not been through the select committee process. There is a real issue here. The bill was considered by a previous Education and Science Committee and as the Hon Brian Donnelly pointed out a number of the members of that select committee in the previous Parliament are not in this Parliament. So not many members of this Parliament have actually had the chance to consider the bill at the select committee. That would not be a huge problem perhaps if it were not for the fact that so many members of this Parliament want to make amendments to it—not just one party but a number of parties including the Minister’s want to make amendments to the bill. 
That is why the Committee would be wise to consider the possibility of sending the bill back to the select committee. Very important issues are at stake. As a former Minister—and I was a Minister for many years—I find it problematic that so many amendments have been brought to the Committee. They are pretty detailed and there has been no chance for any select committee to consider the issues. For example a number of detailed issues in Minister Maharey’s Supplementary Order Paper 25 change totally what the previous select committee was reporting back to Parliament. The select committee in the previous Parliament reported back the bill and now suddenly the Minister comes in with some major amendments that no select committee has considered. It is not as if these things are hugely political issues; they are detailed issues. I would argue there is very good sound reason for the bill—given the particular circumstances surrounding it—to be sent back to the select committee. 
Certainly if that helped the United Future Party to consider further the amendments of the Hon Bill English it would be hugely valuable because it would give the chance for those very important and serious amendments to be considered further. I think a number of parties in the Chamber would welcome that opportunity. I realise that as the Committee we cannot do that—it is a matter the House has to determine. But I would certainly urge members who are involved in this debate in the Committee to talk to their parties so when the House resumes the bill can be sent back to the select committee because a number of amendments—not just the excellent amendment of my colleague Bill English but also amendments from other parties in the Chamber—would benefit if the Education and Science Committee of this Parliament had the chance to consider them. 
So I want to make it very clear that National will be supportive of that move and obviously United Future will be supportive of it. I am sure the Maori Party would be supportive of it and I suspect New Zealand First might be supportive of it because I am sure the chairman of the previous select committee Mr Brian Donnelly has some concerns about the extent of the modification to the bill. A number of amendments have been brought forward since his committee had the chance to hear the bill. This is important serious business and I hope the House can treat it with the seriousness that it is due.