Hipkins Chris: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Hipkins Chris: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 27 September 2012. Volume:684;Page:5756. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
12. 
CHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: What is the consultation timetable for the Christchurch schools she proposes to close or merge including the date of the proposal announcement the date submissions close and the date of her final decision? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA (Minister of Education) 
: 
 I announced the proposal on 13 September and I refer the member to the indicative phases and time line for consultation set out in schedule B also released on 13 September. The schools that are affected by specific proposals to close or merge will shortly receive details of the formal consultation process and time lines that apply to them. In my view they should be the first recipients of that information. 
Chris Hipkins 
: Does she stand by all of the information handed out to schools following the announcement on 13 September; if so why has she decided to send letters to school boards formally initiating the process around mergers and closures when the time line handed out to schools at her announcement suggested that that would not happen until November-December after the open consultation process she initiated? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: Yes I do. 
Chris Hipkins 
: Why does the Minister stand by the information that she handed out at the consultation meeting given that she is no longer adhering to the time line that she herself specified? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: As I answered in the answer to the primary question they are indicative time lines. 
Chris Hipkins 
: How many schools will she be formally writing to over the next fortnight to formally begin the legislative consultation process around school closures or mergers? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: Thirty-nine. 
Chris Hipkins 
: Is it correct that the current proposed time line for a closure is that on 5 October a letter from the Minister will be sent starting the consultation period 21November will be the deadline for a return from the school on 30 November the Minister will accept or reject proposals and on 13 December the announcement will be made; if not what is the time line? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: No it is not correct—no more so than the paper tabled by the member yesterday. 
Dr Megan Woods 
: Will the Minister personally read every submission she receives on the proposed merger or closure of Christchurch schools? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: Yes. 
Dr Megan Woods 
: As part of her finer-grained consultations that will be part of the formal consultation process required to close or merge schools will the Minister be making herself available to meet with parents and students to hear their views on her proposals and listen to their possible alternative proposals? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: Under the Education Act there are specific requirements for the time line and the process. This process is run by my officials in the Ministry of Education. I will be as available as it is reasonable and appropriate to be. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Point of order the Hon Trevor Mallard—Dr Megan Woods. 
Dr Megan Woods 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think everybody can guess my point of order. I asked a very straight question: will the Minister be making herself available— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! [ 
Interruption 
] Order! I am on my feet. The Minister answered that. She said she would make herself available as much as is possible given her ministerial workload. One cannot expect much more of an answer than that. 
Nicky Wagner 
: Can the Minister assure the people of Canterbury that this is a genuine consultation period? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: I can. I am absolutely committed to genuine consultation. No decisions have been made. These proposals represent a $1 billion investment over 10 years. That will mean that Christchurch will have the most modern education system of any city in the country. It is not about simply putting back exactly what was there but about focusing on what can be done better. Thank you.