Tinetti Jan; Salesa JennyREGULATORY SYSTEMS (EDUCATION) AMENDMENT BILLFirst ReadingHon JAN TINETTI (Minister of Education): I present a legislative statement on the Regulatory Systems (Education) Amendment Bill.DEPUTY SPEAKER: That legislative statement is published under the authority of the House and can be found on the Parliament website.Hon JAN TINETTI: I move That the Regulatory Systems (Education) Amendment Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Education and Workforce Committee to consider the bill. At the appropriate time I intend to move the bill be reported to the House by 31 July 2023. In accordance with Standing Order 267(1)(c) the Business Committee has approved the introduction of this bill as an omnibus bill. This bill makes technical amendments to maintain the effectiveness of our regulatory systems. The bill firstly makes changes to the Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Act 1945 to ensure that it is fit for purpose and that the legacy of the 28th Māori Battalion continues. The bill amends the Act to recognise the Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Board as the successor to the 28th Māori Battalion Association. These changes will enable the board to authorise the use of words and emblems related to the 28th Māori Battalion and the 28th Māori Battalion Association under the Flags Emblems and Names Protection Act 1981. The bill creates a new position on the board to be held by a person of Māori descent who has served or is currently serving in the New Zealand Defence Force. This will preserve the legacy of the 28th Māori Battalion. The bill makes several important changes to the Pacific Education Foundation Act 1972. The Pacific Education Foundation Act supports the functions of the Pacific Education Foundation which was established in 1972 to promote and encourage strong education outcomes for Pacific peoples within New Zealand and to provide financial support for that purpose. The board of the foundation administers different kinds of supports and grants for Aotearoa Pacific peoples including the Tulī Takes Flight scholarships as part of the Government's goodwill package to acknowledge the impact of the Dawn Raids.Of the important amendments to the Pacific Education Foundation Act made in this bill the first is an update to the definition of Pacific person" who can receive support from the foundation. This change is needed because the current definition is too narrow and does not capture the diversity of Aotearoa-based Pacific people. To reflect the changing demographics of Aotearoa-based Pacific peoples we are replacing the definition of a "Pacific person" in the Act with a new definition for an "Aotearoa Pacific person". The new reference to Aotearoa reflects the purpose of the foundation—to provide support to Pacific peoples who are living in Aotearoa New Zealand. In addition the new definition of "Aotearoa Pacific person" refers to a person with indigenous Pacific cultural heritage from a broader list of Pacific places than in the previous definition. This will ensure that the definition reflects the diverse Pacific population in Aotearoa New Zealand and will mean that more Aotearoa Pacific learners and their families will be eligible for support from the foundation.The bill will also update the Pacific Education Foundation board's purpose and amend the board's constitution and membership to enable it to function more effectively. The new purpose section will continue to set out the board's role in providing financial assistance to promote and encourage the better education of Aotearoa Pacific people. It will now also clarify the important role the foundation has in providing information and advice to the Minister of Education the Ministry of Education and other education agencies on matters related to the educational success of Aotearoa Pacific people.The bill makes three changes to the board's membership to strengthen its independence and community representation and to ensure continuity between membership terms. This includes replacing one of the public servant members with an additional Ministerappointed community member and increasing the length of time that a board member may be appointed from a term of three years to a term of up to four years. The bill will also amend the Pacific Education Foundation Act to recognise the unique and important relationship the Crown has with the New Zealand Realm countries of Tokelau Niue and the Cook Islands and with Samoa through the Treaty of Friendship.Finally the bill will update the foundation's authorised expenditure from $500 to $10000 per year as it has not been updated since 1972. This change reflects the current value of the authorised expenditure. Together all of these changes will enable the Pacific Education Foundation to better support our Pacific learners and their families and communities.The bill also makes technical amendments to the regulations that impact the education centre. This includes the amendment to the Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016 so that the police-vetting requirement for employees at childcare centres such as mall or gym crèches are consistent with requirements from the Children's Act 2014 and the Education and Training Act 2020. The bill also updates the Children's (Requirements for Safety Checks of Children's Workers) Regulations 2015 to include a reference to the Kiwi Access Card as an acceptable form of identity reflecting the name change of the 18+ card.I am pleased to be introducing this bill to the House. It will update and modernise our education regulatory system and make meaningful changes that uphold the mana and legacy of the Ngārimu VC and 28th Māori Battalion and support the work of the Pacific Education Foundation. I commend this bill to the House.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jenny Salesa): The question is that the motion be agreed to."