Turei Metiria: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Turei Metiria: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Sitting date: 19 February 2013. Volume:687;Page:7920. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
1. 
METIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader—Green) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: In relation to the proposed school closures in Christchurch does she agree with Manning Intermediate head Richard Chambers that “The Minister promised us that we would have two years no matter what. It was a guarantee she made to our community repeatedly it was unequivocal”? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA (Minister of Education) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Speaker. No; I repeatedly made it clear that it was a proposal that we were inviting feedback on. I would also refer Mr Chambers to the letter he received from me yesterday which gave two options for the Manning community to comment on: one was closing in 2014; one was closing in 2015. 
Metiria Turei 
: Is the Minister saying that this principal and his colleagues are lying? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: No. 
Metiria Turei 
: How does the Minister expect to regain the confidence of the 60 percent of New Zealanders who believe she is too incompetent to be Minister of Education when she is reneging on promises—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! 
Metiria Turei 
: —when she reneges on promises that she made to Christchurch families? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: I have already answered in my primary answer that I did not make that promise. 
Metiria Turei 
: During the consultation process did any of the schools currently threatened with closure ask to be shut a year early to give their community certainty? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: In a number of the submissions schools asked for certainty as soon as possible. In a number of the submissions schools pointed out that they did not want a very long time frame because parents would choose to enrol their kids at other schools and teachers would seek jobs in other schools. 
Metiria Turei 
: Which schools asked her to close them a year earlier than originally planned because of certainty? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: As I made clear no school asked to be closed a specific time earlier but we have for instance from the submission from North New Brighton School: “There is already evidence of staff bleeding from our wider sector. If the merge process continues for 4 years and high-quality staff continue to bleed there is a huge risk of a significant negative impact.” Of course another speaker whom I can quote from yesterday said: “Truly these people needed to have a decision because at the end of the day it may not be the decision that people wanted but it is a decision none the less and it is something that we can work from.” That was from the Hon Lianne Dalziel. 
Metiria Turei 
: Does the Minister think that the children and the parents and the principal of Phillipstown School were in tears yesterday because they were happy to have been given certainty that she will close their school a year earlier than she promised them? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: I understand that this can be very upsetting for communities and that a number of communities are unsettled by the interim decisions I announced yesterday and we will be supporting them throughout this process. But we have to remember what it is that we are dealing with across Greater Christchurch and we are working with each and every school on how we can help to get the best possible education system for the kids of Christchurch. 
Metiria Turei 
: Did the Minister receive any advice or instruction from senior Ministers in Cabinet to hurry and get the closures out of the way before the 2014 election? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: No. 
Metiria Turei 
: Why will the Minister refuse to say sorry to the people of Christchurch the families of Christchurch for the bungled announcements she made in September the reneging on promises to keep schools open until 2015 and the fact that 19 schools will close? Why will she not say sorry? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: I went to visit 35 of the schools directly and personally to acknowledge the September issues and since then I have worked very closely with each and every one of them. 
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: Will she give an assurance that merging schools that want to delay the merger for another year will be allowed to do so? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: We have a further 6 weeks of consultation during which time I will listen and continue to listen and work with schools. 
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: Does she accept that the time frame does not leave sufficient time for discussions and planning to take place; if not why did she write to Central New Brighton School saying that that is why the proposed merger would not take place until 2016? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: No because this process of consultation has been going for the past 5 months so I do think that the time frame available for schools to make their submissions has been a very appropriate one in the circumstances. 
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The question that I asked her was whether the time frame for the merger— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No. No there were two parts to your question. The first part was whether the time frame was sufficient. The Minister addressed that to my mind quite satisfactorily. 
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: Will the surrounding schools be ready for the sudden influx of students next year resulting from her decision to bring forward the closure and merger dates; if so why is the Government shelling out $2.7 million for temporary relocatable classrooms in Christchurch? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: These are interim decisions that I announced yesterday and under the law—under the Education Act—I am required not to predetermine the outcome of that consultation. 
Rt Hon John Key 
: Has the Minister seen reports that the current National-led Government has closed only 49 schools—on average 12 a year—when the previous Labour Government closed 281 schools or an average of 31 a year; and if there was a change of Government where the Greens are involved do you think it is possible that it would ever close any school? [ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: The Prime Minister is quite correct. 
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: I seek leave to table an extract from a letter from the office of the Hon Hekia Parata dated 7 December 2012 to a member of the Parklands community. It states— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! Is it a letter that is freely available to members through any other source? 
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: No. 
Hon Gerry Brownlee 
: Yes it is. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The easiest way to resolve it is to put leave to the House. Is there any objection to that letter being tabled? 
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: Hang on I have not explained what the letter— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: You have explained quite sufficiently what it is. You have explained quite sufficiently what it is. It is not an opportunity for the member to make a statement. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I do not think the member has even said whom the letter is from. How can you— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: How can you say— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! The letter was from my understanding a letter from the Hon Hekia Parata. That was stated in the very early part of the member— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: About what? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Sorry? 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: About what? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: It was then about the closure of schools in Christchurch. [ 
Interruption 
] Order! I will invite the member to briefly describe the content of what she wants to seek to table and if we determine it is not something that is freely available to members I will put leave to the House. 
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: The letter states that as this proposed merger is not planned to take place until 2016—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! It would help if we could find out what the letter is about so we can tidy this matter up. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: If the member wants the opportunity to table the letter it would be helpful if the member was able to describe the letter. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: And Mr Speaker that might be helped if you enforced the rules of the House which require silence during points of order. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is a perfectly acceptable point of order raised by the Hon Trevor Mallard. Would the member succinctly describe what she is attempting to table. 
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: The letter states that as the proposed merger is not planned to take place until 2016 if it were to go ahead there would be time for discussions to be had for planning to take place and for the merged school to gain the support— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! 
Hon Bill English 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: We now clearly know what the letter is. There is a further point of order. It would be helpful if we could tidy the matter up. I call the Hon Bill English. 
Hon Bill English 
: If you just put the leave I think that will probably work best Mr Speaker. But the member abused the tolerance of the House. The House is always happy to have people table letters but having been asked several times to state whom it was from and whom to she did not do that and insisted on reading it out. The member therefore runs the risk that the House will object to leave when it is abused in that way. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: And I suggest to the House that that is the easiest way of tidying this matter up. Leave has been sought. Any member can object. Is there any objection to that letter being tabled? There is.