Lee DeniseDENISE LEE (National—Maungakiekie): Thank you Madam Assistant Speaker for the opportunity to speak to this particular bill at the second reading. I'd like to thank my fellow Education and Workforce Committee members on both sides of the House for the process to date and of course we're dealing with a bill that renames the Education Council to the Teachers Council and it increases the membership from nine to 13—Jan Tinetti: No Teaching"! DENISE LEE: —Teaching Council—amongst a few other things.I do absolutely concur with my colleagues who previously saw fit to recount a little bit of the background to this bill. I'll do a little bit on the same before I then—it was touched on in the select committee process. It's really important that we understand some people might think that this is déjà vu. It's not; the circumstances are very different. And if we understand what the circumstances were back when there was a major review—not just a succinct select committee process that we're having right now but there was an actual major review that pre-dated the decision to change the name to the Education Council back in 2012 and 2013. So the three-year process between 2010 and 2013 was addressing what was a very—and acknowledged by everyone—underperforming and struggling council. That's exactly what it did back then and that's what the review said and it involved some really prominent and well-respected people in the review process—John Morris and Pauline Winter for two.Back then the council was asked by the Government of the day—our Government—to be reviewed to ensure that the council would set and enforce clear standards for entry progression and professional accountability. That's straightforward. That's fantastic. And also the review was kicked off to make sure that it was clearly differentiated from a Government and industrial advocacy organisation.Hon Tracey Martin: Ah there you go!DENISE LEE: That's right. That is "There we go!" because we acknowledged back then that that was the problem and that it was a very big reason why it was underperforming. That review committee found that the council back then could not effectively set and enforce clear standards for entry progression and professional accountability as it was currently structured governed and positioned and also that the council's role and purpose were insufficiently differentiated from those of Government and industrial advocacy organisations. Now if we fast forward to today this is where we are heading back again. It's incredibly clear.They also decided—amongst those preeminent education individuals on that review committee—that the council's status and capacity to lead the profession was affected by how much agencies unions teacher education providers the research community and teachers themselves acknowledge respect and support its leadership role. So they were wanting that respect for the council but the council did not have the qualities of leadership public reputation positional confidence quality assurance systems or organisational capacity to build that strong professional community of teachers. So the submitters were saying back then that there was an issue. What are the submitters saying now? Nothing—that there isn't an issue right now with reputation. Did we hear hand on heart any submitters that said that there is a problem right now with the council's reputation? Not one—not one.Instead the bill cuts in at different angles and for very different reasons and I think that Dr Parmjeet Parmar very much touched on a sore sport with my colleagues across the other side of the House.Chlöe Swarbrick: There were 36!Simeon Brown: 36?Chlöe Swarbrick: Yes.Simeon Brown: Wow!ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams): Order! I have asked the members not to have conversations with each other across the Chamber while your members are speaking. Denise Lee please carry on.DENISE LEE: Thank you Madam Assistant Speaker. So I say again: is there a problem right now with what those review changes brought about? Is there a problem right now with that strong respect for the council and the work that they do? The answer is "No there's not a problem." So what is it that we're trying to do here today?I want to touch on what everyone is going to go to straight away because it's obvious and that's the name change. So you lead from something so obvious as the name change and we have heard very clearly from the Education Council as it stands today themselves of the cost around changing the name.So we know that the total cost associated with implementing this bill is $700000 over the next three years. That's a massive amount. In fact if we break that down a little bit we will see—this is provided from the Education Council—$220000 for the costs associated with rebranding; $150000 every time there's an election held for the council; $105000 per annum for costs associated with the increased membership from nine to 13 so that's costs such as remuneration travel and accommodation; and then $10000 for training of that extra council membership. Seven hundred thousand dollars. This is something that the public and those in the wider education sector deserve to know. We have to be very mindful of these costs.I would like to read out—and I think this is very fitting too—from one particular submission. He was a principal from the Waitakere Area Principals' Association representing several principals from the Waitakere area. Here it is in plain black and white: "As an association comprising both primary and secondary school principals we are extremely appreciative of the thought behind the proposed name change." So a good start there right? Here we go: "This said however we are opposed to a formal name change due to the financial costs that will be incurred during the rebranding process. At a recent meeting Tracey Martin the Associate Minister of Education noted her concern about the amount of money that filtered out of the education system without providing any tangible benefits for students. This is a concern every school principal shares. As principals we are often told that there is no money to support students with special educational needs. There is however enough money it would appear to reprint business cards every time a job title changes or to colour code the Ministry letterhead for purposes that to this day elude us." Now I'll just repeat again this is the Waitakere Area Principals' Association. "Frankly we find this an extravagance that cannot be justified when students are not receiving the support they need to succeed." [Interruption] I can hear that the Hon Tracey Martin's having a little bit of a problem with this quote. How's this for a close-off? "It is our clear belief" said the Waitakere Area Principals' Association "that if there is excess money in the system to pay for yet another rebranding exercise then there is money in the system to provide additional … support for the thousands of students that are currently missing out."That's where the rubber hits the road—that is absolutely. Now here's something else that that really helpful principal told us. Let's break it down. The $220000 cost for that rebranding if that was to be used another way—and that's all that they're asking for to ditch the rebrand and use it in another way—it would be 12000 teacher-aide hours. I repeat 12—Hon Members: Oh!DENISE LEE: Is there a problem with that from the other side of the House? It appears that there is. It would be 12000 teacher-aide hours. If you put it over the cost of the three-year cycle there would be 37000 teacher-aide hours. The Government is choosing a rebranding over 37000 teacher-aide hours. How is anyone supposed to swallow that pill? You couldn't and you shouldn't.I'm going to finish on just one quick principle that I find really interesting: the principle of—we're being so-called "allergic to democracy" and the term of being elected. If that's so why are only seven of the new 13 spots elected? Why not all 13? Furthermore why does the Minister still have the power to appoint the chair? If the other side of the House is so gung-ho on democracy why not let them elect their own chairperson? Why not have every single one of the 13 spots elected? That seems to me to be a little bit on the "interesting read" side of things. I'd like to thank again in my closing seconds the Education Council for the amazing work that they do. I'd like to specifically thank Barbara Ala'alatoa who is actually a principal in my area in Maungakiekie. We oppose this bill. It is not necessary."