Turei Metiria: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeTurei Metiria: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 04 June 2013. Volume:690;Page:10636. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]8.METIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader—Green) to theMinister of Education: Will the Education Amendment Bill allow private businesses to set up charter schools on the sites of closed state schools?Hon HEKIA PARATA (Minister of Education): Tēnā koe. The Public Works Act not the Education Amendment Bill continues to govern the process for the disposal of any surplus—[Interruption]Metiria Turei: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Sorry with all the chatter from this side of the House I could not even hear the Minister start her answer.Mr SPEAKER: Order! There was substantial noise from many parts of the House. I could not hear the start of the answer. Would the Minister now start the answer.Hon HEKIA PARATA: Tēnā koe. The Public Works Act not the Education Amendment Bill continues to govern the process for the disposal of any surplus Crown land including where relevant schools.Metiria Turei: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question had nothing to do with the Public Works Act. It was a question expressly about whether or not provisions exist in the Education Amendment Bill. I would like an answer to my question.Mr SPEAKER: That does not seem unreasonable to me. I can see the connection with the Public Works Act but would the Minister please attempt to answer the question. She has had the question—or her office has certainly had the question—for 3 hours.Hon HEKIA PARATA: In order for closed State schools to become available for other purposes of the kind that are being asked in this question they have to be subject to the disposal mechanisms of the Public Works Act.Mr SPEAKER: So we take that to be a yes.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. You cannot take that to be a yes because the Minister said no to your statement. We cannot waste the public’s time and Parliament’s time with that sort of response.Mr SPEAKER: I do not believe that is the case.Metiria Turei: Can the Minister confirm that she told Cabinet earlier this year that “The most practical options for the first partnership schools are renting premisesincluding existing educational buildings such as a closed State school or by a private school converting to a partnership school.”?Hon HEKIA PARATA: No I cannot confirm that. I would have to investigate the member’s assertion.Metiria Turei: I seek leave to table a Cabinet paper signed by Hekia Parata on 13 February 2013 saying that the most practical options for partnership schools are existing educational buildings such as a closed State school or a private school converting to a partnership school.Mr SPEAKER: That is sufficient information. Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is none.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Metiria Turei: How many of the schools closed in Christchurch were done so purposely so that private businesses could take them over as charter schools; if none will she rule out the use of those closed Christchurch schools for private businesses to make a private profit from as charter schools?Hon HEKIA PARATA: To be clear the Education Amendment Bill is focused on partnership schools not on charter schools which the member keeps identifying them as. The Education Amendment Bill is about partnership schools. Partnership schools are yet to be considered for approval or not. What is happening in Christchurch is on a completely separate time line to partnership schools.Metiria Turei: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was twofold—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I suspect that the Minister did not hear your question clearly. Would you please ask the question again.Metiria Turei: How many of the schools closed in Christchurch were done so purposely so that private businesses could take them over as charter schools; if none will she rule out the use of any closed schools in Christchurch for private profit charter schools?Hon HEKIA PARATA: In answer to the first part of the question none.Metiria Turei: Does her own signed-off plan to give closed State schools to private businesses to make a profit under charter schools and her plan to convert private schools into fully funded charter schools not show this policy for what it really is which is an attack on public education and a back-door plan to give private schools more and more public money?Hon HEKIA PARATA: No.Chris Hipkins: Will she give the people of Christchurch a guarantee that she will not approve the opening of a partnership school on a school site where she has closed a public school?Hon HEKIA PARATA: No I will not give guarantees of that nature because they are two separate policies and the whole point of schools is that they be used for educational purposes. They are quite separate decision processes.