Tinetti JanJAN TINETTI (Labour): Thank you Madam Speaker. It's truly a pleasure to stand here in speak on this bill. I congratulate the Hon Nikki Kaye on having this bill pulled from the ballot. Just so you don't think that we've gone and done something different Labour will be supporting this bill through to select committee and I'm happy to say that right from the outset. It was no surprise to me to see this bill in the ballot in the first place because I know that when the Hon Nikki Kaye was the Minister of Education a passion of hers was second language learning and the sector would not be surprised at this bill being here as well. It is something that we've known for a long time and it is a discussion that is worthy to be held.Research shows second language learning is really important to the development in a child and in a learner the whole way through. And we haven't really had a strategy as such that has been consistent in the New Zealand education system. I think that this is an opportunity to have that conversation and that's why we are happy to take this through to select committee.But as the previous speaker the Hon Nikki Kaye said this bill is not perfect and that's why it's important to have this conversation. And while I now might stand here and say where my areas of concern are I don't want that to be taken that we are not looking at being serious in this discussion. We are looking at being serious in this discussion. But I want it on record now about where I see the discussion needs to go to in the select committee and some of the issues that we need to discuss going forward in this area. First and foremost from my point of view as someone that has come out of the education sector I think it is really important to have the discussion with educators. We need to hear the issues that have existed in the schooling sector in the past around why second language learning has in many schools not been successful in the uptake. We need to hear how important this is to educators. We need to hear from the educators' perspective about what they need to make second language learning strategy successful across the whole of the sector. Too many times Governments over many years have not had the sector involved in that conversation. I'd need to say right from the outset that this is as was pointed out a massive opportunity but also a massive opportunity for risk if we don't get it right and bring the sector with us. So it is really important that that discussion is had and also that we are not putting pressure on the brilliant local curriculum that we have in this country. We have a world-leading curriculum and the world-leading curriculum has been supported by many different Governments over the years. It has transformed over the years and now we have the New Zealand curricula in that we have the Marautanga and we have The New Zealand Curriculum and we have other Māori-medium curriculum as well. And we can't put pressure on those that they become too constrained. It is really really important that that flexibility still remains to develop a strong local curriculum for each individual school maybe inclusive of this strategy but we can't put pressure on an already bursting system within those schools. So it is really important that we look at that side of it as well.On the good sides on the sides of strength we do need to investigate that research around why second language learning is important. But at the same time we need to look at other research around why other areas are just as important why the arts are just as important because while second language learning research does show that once this becomes part of a child's life they become really really a master in their own language through the second language. The same can be said of music. A child can become a great mathematician an even better mathematician when they become strong in music. So we need to investigate—is it just as important to be learning a musical instrument for example? Those sorts of questions are philosophical questions that need to be posed in this investigation.Also I'm really pleased to hear the member talk about Te Reo Māori and reading the bill I was really pleased to see the funding that was in this bill to be put into Te Reo Māori because we have a beautiful second language or first language for many in this country and we are the only country that can give Te Reo Māori its absolute due respect by using that as a strategy and implementing that strategy incredibly well. But at the same time we must make certain that no strategy actually takes away from Te Reo Māori. That is incredibly important. I would ask that we make certain that our Māori medium schools are consulted really well within this consultation because reading the bill—and this might be me—I couldn't see that for those schools who operate under Te Marautanga o Aotearoa which is the Māori-medium curriculum English was being given its due respect as a priority language. Because as a former principal of a Māori-medium sector school I had to ensure that my students were learning te reo Pākehā as their second language. So I think that's a conversation that needs to be had in that space so that we're not undermining Te Marautanga o Aotearoa as well. Pacific languages—again I was really pleased to see that there was an emphasis put on the Pacific languages in there; I am such a strong supporter of first language. I have seen how important that is for children—and that was mentioned by the previous speaker—who come from other countries or whakapapa back to other countries. It is really important that we are giving those opportunities but we can't do it just as a let's learn their songs or let's just have a light glance at it." It is really important that we give those languages their due respect for the value of those young people to know their whakapapa and their heritage because when they know their heritage and their identity—and language is an important part of that—they will become much stronger citizens of New Zealand and they will become much stronger in their own identity. And that's really important. So I was really pleased to see that coming through in the bill.I did have a question around the likes of specialist schools when I was reading this bill and where they fit into this because I felt that this could put pressure on specialist schools in a way that was not intended. I think that specialist schools that I know of that do Te Reo Māori really really well that there is room in that as their second language but that will be a question and learning support area that I will be asking a lot of in the select committee process to make sure that we get it right in that particular space.The previous speaker talked about the stretch on resources. Again this is where we need to take the sector with us to talk about the different methods of delivery of language. We know now that we can bring technology into play. We've been through a perfect time to look at how technology could be part of that. But we do have a critical shortage of teachers across all sectors. I know that in language learning that is no different to any other sector. So we need to have a strategy in place for training up those teachers and no matter whether we're using technology in that space or not the workforce component of this is just as important as the bill itself. So we need to make certain that we're not putting something in place that actually stretches the profession or the resources or the delivery any further than what it already is.We've talked about the fiscal commitment the previous speaker talked about the fiscal commitment and know that we're going to be talking a lot more about that in select committee. That is a really really important consideration that has to be made. Again education is an area that is always going to be stretched because there's always going to be areas that are really important. But we need to make certain that this is the best use of that money. So that's where the research really comes into play. I'm looking forward to really looking into that and working through our officials. In fact I'm quite excited about delving into this and doing a really for want of a cliché deep dive into how important this is to our education sector.Again I guess going back the other question: is legislation the best answer? Yes maybe it is maybe it's not. And again that is something that will come through the select committee process. I know that as the previous speaker said we have this perfect opportunity to have this discussion. I am really looking forward to having that discussion. I am very excited and I'm very pleased that this bill came out of the ballot and that I'm going to be part of those discussions. I commend this bill to the House."