Rich Katherine: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Rich Katherine: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:644;Page:13594] 
10.  
KATHERINE RICH (National) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: Will he order an inquiry into the handling of sex abuse allegations against the principal of Hato Paora College by his ministry and the board of Hato Paora College; if not why not? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Associate Minister of Education) 
 on behalf of the  
Minister of Education 
: My colleague the Minister of Education told the House on 22 November 2007 that he had already requested a report from his officials on this issue. Any information that the Ministry of Education has is now in the hands of the police and as the matter is before the courts it is not appropriate to comment further. 
Katherine Rich 
: Is the Minister aware that since his last statements to the House where he strongly endorsed the process used by the school and his ministry an Auckland lawyer has come forward to say he warned the school and the ministry during the appointment process Child Youth and Family has gone on the record to say that the school passed on only one of the two complaints and further allegations have been made regarding the second complainant who at best was encouraged or at worst was bullied to stay silent; rather than just calling for a report why does he not call for a full inquiry and get to the bottom of this matter? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: While these matters are before the courts it is not appropriate for me to comment further on this case. I note again for the benefit of the member that all the relevant information held by the Ministry of Education has been provided to the police. 
Dianne Yates 
: Is the Ministry of Education cooperating with the authorities in investigating these allegations? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: Yes. All information held by the Ministry of Education has been handed over to the police. I am also aware from media reports at the weekend that others also claim to hold information relevant to the allegations. I urge them to make that information available to the police if they have not already done so. 
Katherine Rich 
: Why does the Minister stand in the House and say that this matter is now before the courts and he cannot make any comments when for nearly 3 weeks he has stood in this House and answered six primary questions and nearly 30 supplementary questions on this issue but now that his story is starting to unravel and information continually comes out that proves that what he said in the House is wrong he clams up and says the matter is before the courts? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: The reason for the number of responses is that the same person has continually asked the same question. This matter is being fully investigated by the police—the place where it should be investigated. 
Katherine Rich 
: Why will the Minister not order a real investigation into the handling of serious allegations of sexual abuse in a school when he has been told that the board undertook its own interrogation of students allegedly bullied one complainant into staying silent and passed on selective evidence to Child Youth and Family; when unusually Child Youth and Family has gone on the record to say it received only one of the two complaints; and when we now hear that an Auckland lawyer told the school and the ministry during the application process that the appointment should not be made yet the Minister shrugs his shoulders and says it is not his problem and he is not doing anything about it? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: All relevant material has been handed to the police. In relation to the further points that have been brought up by the lawyer or by anybody else if anyone has relevant information that needs to be forwarded to the police because this matter is sub judice. If the member does not understand that she should. 
Katherine Rich 
: Is not the real reason the Minister will not order an inquiry into what the ministry did and did not do and the process that was used that he stood in the House week after week saying that the school had followed the appropriate process and everything had gone along swimmingly and that an inquiry will prove that almost everything he said in this House is wrong? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: Most certainly not. There is a police inquiry. What is wrong with the police carrying out an inquiry?