Wong Pansy: Education (Tertiary Reforms) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Wong Pansy: Education (Tertiary Reforms) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:643;Page:13217] 
PANSY WONG (National) 
: 
 I am not surprised that the Labour member is very anxious to close the debate. I want to question one of the purpose statements of the bill. Apparently the bill will enable the Tertiary Education Commission effectively to monitor the performance of organisations. Just now I have been told by my diligent National colleague that this exercise so far has cost the public $420 million for nothing. Another $100 million can be added to this bill. 
Let me share this with the public. Two years ago I brought it to the attention of the Minister for Tertiary Education Dr Michael Cullen that there was a cash-back scam of senior students signing up to learn English and getting a kickback and that this scam covered about $100 million of student loans. There was not much prospect of the Government recovering that. When this was brought to the attention of the Minister Dr Janice Shiner the Chief Executive Officer of the Tertiary Education Commission said that an inquiry would be carried out. Twelve months later I asked what the result was. She said that the competent staff at the Tertiary Education Commission had politely written a letter to the 13 institutions that were suspected of being part of this scam. That letter said: “Have you been good? Did you really take part in those scams? We will come out and visit you and we will give you plenty of notice before we do so.” Those remarks were followed by this statement: “Please sign on the dotted line that you did not take part in this scam.” The commission got all those signatures and closed the inquiry. 
So it took this backbench MP with no additional resources such as the 340 staff working in the department to go to Television New Zealand’s  
Close Up 
 programme. Only then did we manage to get the Tertiary Education Commission to take another look into the scam. Files have been sent to the Serious Fraud Office so that it can consider whether to prosecute those institutions. 
It did not stop there. This is not even funny because then the chief executive officer of the Tertiary Education Commission went on television and said that a new policy had been introduced and that the scam had stopped. Well we brought the latest scam to her attention only about a month ago this year. Three institutions were still advertising for students. I was told that the commission sent a letter to one of the institutions and asked it to stop doing this. So a scam was brought to the commission’s attention 24 months ago and 24 months later a poorly resourced backbench National MP is still doing the job for an organisation of 340 people— 
Colin King 
: And growing. 
PANSY WONG 
: —and growing. 
I want the next Labour speaker who is so proud to support this bill to take a call and explain to the public why the passage of this legislation would make this organisation more effective. What would change? All we know is that it has wasted $420 million and as I have just said another $100 million can be added to that bill. I am really looking forward to the Minister in the chair the Hon Parekura Horomia who used to be very good at taking calls explaining to the public why he is so enthusiastic about backing this organisation and believing that it will be effective. We are really looking forward to the Minister taking a call and saying what the public is getting for this $420 million. There is silence. I am sure that the Minister will oblige and take a call.