Rich Katherine: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Rich Katherine: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:616;Page:11631] 
3.  
KATHERINE RICH (National) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: Why does the collective agreement for Specialist Education Services field staff provide for an extra allowance to be paid to Maori staff members for their skill and knowledge of te reo Maori and tikanga Maori and why does the collective agreement limit the payment of the allowance to Maori staff? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Minister of Education) 
: 
 I am glad that the member asked this question. The collective agreement does not limit the payment of the allowance to Maori staff. While the wording of the collective agreement does not make this clear the new criteria for assessing eligibility introduced last October do make it clear that the additional allowance is available on the basis of skills not ethnicity. Under this Government—under this Government I reiterate—it is a policy based on skill not race. 
Katherine Rich 
: If this Government’s policy is based on need not race then how can he explain the clear wording of the contract which states: “where Maori staff members’ skill and knowledge of te reo Maori and tikanga Maori have been assessed by the ministry and the level of attainment set out in the ministry policy has been reached the dollar amounts set out below will be added to the individual’s salary plus $3100”? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I suggest that the member ask the member to her left who was in Cabinet at the time it was put in. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Can I ask the Minister in the interests of sorting out who was responsible for this policy whether he can deny to this House that the Minister who put it in place was a previous National Minister and that his name was Wyatt Creech? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I am advised that the collective employment contract containing this clause operated from 1 June 1998 when Nick Smith and Bill English were both in Cabinet. 
Katherine Rich 
: After three negotiation rounds and entering a fifth year in Government will the Minister change this clause during the next negotiation round to make it clear that it applies to all staff; if so why the sudden U-turn? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: The answer is I think that there has been only one Specialist Education Services round in the time. I do not think there has been a Group Special Education round—I stand to be corrected—but this Government will certainly take out the rubbish that the previous Government put in. 
Deborah Coddington 
: Does he agree with the philosophy espoused by the primary teachers union that Maori children are best taught by Maori teachers and should that sentiment be extended to other ethnicities like Dutch South African and Chinese—or does he think that the New Zealand Educational Institute has gone right over the top this time? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I will answer the first two questions which will save me from giving a third answer. No and no. 
Katherine Rich 
: When the New Zealand Educational Institute initially stated: “Yes you do have to be Maori to qualify for it.” can the Minister explain why the organisation suddenly changed its tune after speaking with his ministry? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: The institute probably referred back to the October document in which the ministry indicated to it that that was the way the ministry was interpreting the document because under this Government as opposed to the previous Government we do it on skill not on race.