Street Maryan: Education (Tertiary Reforms) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Street Maryan: Education (Tertiary Reforms) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:643;Page:13193] 
Hon MARYAN STREET (Associate Minister for Tertiary Education) 
: 
 I am pleased that the National Party in Opposition has got to the end of a Thursday and clearly the National members’ levity has overcome them because they seem to be unable to comprehend the seriousness of the purpose of the legislation in front of us. It is absolutely critical that this country has a high-performing tertiary education sector and that is not only to do with the universities but to do with polytechnics and the industry training organisations that serve the training purposes for those people in trades and occupations that this country needs. This country needs well-equipped and competent people for those occupations. 
This Education (Tertiary Reforms) Amendment Bill implements the Government’s reforms of the system and contrary to the lunatic assertions that we have heard in some of the speeches just given by members of the Opposition the reforms of the tertiary education sector have been long in coming. These reforms are being set in place because they are sensible and they give the tertiary education organisations some security and forward planning capability and because the kinds of synergies that exist between the plans outlined in this bill and the requirements of students which are at the heart of this bill are aligned. The fact that there is a 3-year plan should not come as any surprise to members opposite—although clearly it does—because most of our tertiary qualifications take 3 years to complete. I have had the privilege of being a member of staff in an academic capacity for 9 years at Auckland University and I know how long it takes to prepare degree courses diploma courses and postgraduate courses and I know the kinds of things that are involved in developing contemporary qualifications that young people require these days in order for this society and for our country to be able to meet contemporary and future challenges. That is what this bill is about and no amount of levity or inanity from the Opposition can detract from the serious purpose of this bill. 
This is a good bill. It prepares our tertiary education sector to engage with the community and to assess the needs of its community on a regular and planned basis. It allows our tertiary education sector to be responsive to need but it also gives the sector security of funding on an ongoing 3-year basis. That is the kind of mechanism that this bill delivers. It is a technical bill in that sense but let us not for a moment lose sight of its overriding purpose. Its purpose is serious. The mechanism needed to deliver quality planned tertiary education and therefore to contribute to the skills and the economic transformation of this country is the underpinning of this technical bill. The sooner the members opposite take it seriously the better. 
Progress to be reported presently. 
House resumed. 
The Chairperson reported the Appropriation (Continuation of Interim Meaning of Funding for Parliamentary Purposes) Bill with amendment progress on the Education (Tertiary Reforms) Amendment Bill and no progress on the Building Amendment Bill. 
Report adopted.