Tinetti JanJAN TINETTI (Labour): Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker. It's been very interesting listening to this debate here this evening. It's actually confirmed to me how little regard our Opposition had for the education sector when they were in Government because what they have done here tonight is that they have trivialised the New Zealand Curriculum and teachers' and parents' regard for the New Zealand Curriculum. As a former educator this bill is far more than symbolic; it is far more than a stocking filler. It aligns the national curriculum to the National Education and Learning Priorities and that puts the curriculum back at the centre which means it puts the children back at the centre. Over the dinner break I along with people sitting in this House went to listen to Judge Andrew Becroft talk about how as a Parliament we need to be more responsive to the voices of children. This bill is the first that he can point to that is responsive to the voice of children because we are including and saying that the Minister must consult first and foremost with children. If that is not significant then you are trivialising children and their place in education. ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe): Please don't bring me into the debate. JAN TINETTI: Oh I'm very sorry Mr Assistant Speaker.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe): Thank you.JAN TINETTI: I will get better. A couple of points that I want to speak to—the Hon Paul Goldsmith quoted me in the Bay of Plenty Times. I want to actually read that quote because I think it probably points to the fact of why we need such strong consultation and why we need to actually go back to people to consult. That quote was made on 3 February and on 3 February when the Bay of Plenty Times had conducted an interview with me they talked about my member's bill but they also talked about the other bills that were in Parliament that were important to me in the Education and Workforce Committee at the time.Clearly they got the two bills muddled up because—listen to the quote; remember it's 3 February Tinetti said the Education (National Education and Learning Priorities) Amendment Bill passed its first reading in Parliament on Thursday which would start to return mana [honour] to the teaching profession." Considering that we're passing the first reading now the fact that it said on 3 February that it passed its first reading is obviously a misquote by the Bay of Plenty Times. The fact that the Hon Paul Goldsmith read that out and said I had quoted that this bill that we're talking about now was going to return mana to the teaching profession points to the fact that he didn't do his homework very well. So it shows to me why consultation with our education sector groups is incredibly important.Also the Hon Tim Macindoe talked about why was this bill not in a statutes amendment. Well it's not in a statutes amendment because National voted it down when it was a Supplementary Order Paper to the Education (Update) Amendment Bill. Perhaps he just conveniently forgot that.This bill is about listening to young people's voices. This bill is about getting our consultation right. But first and foremost this is—and I'll point to my colleague in the Green Party Jan Logie—another step in getting our education system back on track and that is what is exciting to many many many people in this country at the moment. That is exciting to our children that is exciting to our parents and that is exciting to our educators. We are simply getting the education system back on track again. We are aligning the curriculum. We are dealing with bringing diversity back in to our highest level.The last point that I want to make is the really important point that the Hon Chris Hipkins brought up that this will allow for parliamentary scrutiny. These National Education and Learning Priorities are so important that why should they not come under parliamentary scrutiny when they are so important? The fact that we have an Opposition here tonight that have argued against this tells me that they don't believe education is important. Thank you."