O'Connor Simon: Education Amendment Bill — In Committee Speaker Recalled In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeO'Connor Simon: Education Amendment Bill — In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee[Sitting date: 29 May 2013. Volume:690;Page:10525. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]SIMON O’CONNOR (National—Tāmaki): I have heard so much about my electorate today that I am inspired to stand. I am inspired that members of the Labour Party are filing into the finest electorate in the country and I would like to think that it has had a pretty good MP since 2011 as well. I am thrilled that you have been to Tāmaki College. I am absolutely thrilled that you have been to Pt England School.The Manaiakalani Project involves 11 schools—outstanding schools—but of course they had to battle with a whole lot of people including the Ministry of Education to get to where they are today. But I think one of the key themes is that their success is not going to be blighted by partnership schools. They can continue to be the success that they are while another model continues. It is no threat. It is no problem. The success of the Manaiakalani Project and the success of other models can continue.It is as if somehow this bill the Education Amendment Bill is about replacement. There is no replacement; this is about an added choice. In fact if you think about the supposed logic of the other side those members would have been arguing against integrated schools in 1970. They would have said “Oh my God we can’t have integrated schools—it’s different.” but of course they are not so keen on that any more. Where is the consistency there? Of course we heard an unfortunate—and I acknowledge Tracey Martin—and I would say a fairly strong conspiratorial approach. It is hard really to rebut that other than to say: “Excuse me JFK and Elvis Presley are in your caucus room at the moment.”Partnership schools are another attempt within our education system to engage the community and students. The community is made up of taxpayers. There is all this talk about the taxpayers’ money—that taxpayers’ money is going to go to the private sector. Well actually it is going to NGOs but strangely enough taxpayers pay their taxes. If a group of families who are taxpayers get together and want to set up a partnership school why should we stop them? They are taxpayers and they are accountable. That public money—Dr Megan Woods: Well don’t use public money. Why use public money?SIMON O’CONNOR: Because they are the taxpayers. That is what the Labour Party forgets—that is what the Labour Party forgets. It wants to control the money it wants to control the curriculum and it wants the State control. This is about New Zealanders having their say. We had people after people come to the Education and Science Committee who said—who cried out—that they want this. They were coming from your electorates Megan Woods and others—from Labour electorates and from National electorates. They said they wanted this. They were from Pasifika communities William Sio—from Pasifika communities. They were from Māori communities and from right across the spectrum. We heard other research. Look up Stanford University and the Center for Research on Education Outcomes. There is other research. We do not have to give in to this empty rhetoric from the other side.I just want to finish though with one quick anecdote. On Monday night I held a public meeting with the very fine Chester Borrows where I was approached by someone who was talking about teaching Kiribati in their community—Hon Members: “Ki-ri-bass”.SIMON O’CONNOR: Sorry—Kiribati. I apologise. I am more fluent in Fijian. But the lady from Kiribati was saying that what the problem was—Le’aufa’amulia Asenati Lole-Taylor: I bet you can’t say anything in Fijian.SIMON O’CONNOR: Yes—ni sa bula vinaka—but I believe that we have got a few weeks until Fijian language week. Anyway they wanted Kiribati taught in their schools but unfortunately the problem was that although they had people who could speak Kiribati there was no one who was a registered teacher. There was no one who was a registered teacher and it was really difficult. Here is where partnership schools kick in. That is where partnership schools kick in. Here was a community and here was a woman crying out for her children to be taught in a school their language from Kiribati. There were no registered teachers but there were people who speak that language. Partnership schools will allow people in that community and in my community and your community to be able to teach within a partnership school.I just want to finish with two very quick things. The percentage of teachers who are registered is negotiated on contract. Finally I think it is a small point that needs to be pointed out—actually I am going to leave it there. I think this bill actually speaks for itself. The community wants it—[Interruption] Oh oh slow down slow down. The community wants this. The community’s voice is out there. It has that voice. Think of that lady from Kiribati.