Robertson Grant: Education (Polytechnics) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Robertson Grant: Education (Polytechnics) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:659;Page:8540] 
GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) 
: 
 The debate on the title clause is an important one because the current title is a very anodyne one: the Education (Polytechnics) Amendment Bill. I do not think that the title in any way reflects what the National Government is doing tonight in terms of polytechnics. I think the bill should be called the “Education Polytechnics (Ministerial Control) Amendment Bill” because that is quite clearly what is taking place here this evening. The Minister is taking control of polytechnic councils by giving herself the ability to appoint four of the eight members and inevitably one of those members will be the chair and one will be the deputy chair. But at least there is concern about ministerial control and the view that the title should refer to that control is a view held not only by Labour. 
I would like to put on record parts of the submission of the Human Rights Commission on this bill. The commission has raised a number of concerns about ministerial control. It says in its submission: “The balance of power is tilted in favour of Ministerial appointees” and it goes on to explain why it has concerns about that. It states: “As the regulatory impact statement provided with the Bill notes … there is a risk that the proposals will create a perception that the Minister will have more control over polytechnic councils.” In fact I would say that it is not a perception but a reality. The commission goes on to say that it notes that a comprehensive 2003 independent review of governance across New Zealand’s tertiary education institutions recommended reducing rather than increasing ministerial powers of appointment. 
That review was comprehensive and independent and it said we should reduce ministerial powers of appointment. But instead we stand here tonight debating a bill that should be entitled the “Ministerial Control of Polytechnics Bill” because it is going the opposite way. It is in fact increasing ministerial control. It is taking away academic freedom and taking away the ability of communities to be represented on those councils. 
The Human Rights Commission finished its submission by saying: “While the legislation retains references to both concepts a number of proposals increase the level of Ministerial control over appointment and removal of council members. As a result the Bill potentially reduces academic and other staff members’ involvement in governance and institutions’ autonomy.” That is the nub of this issue. This bill is moving control of polytechnics away from the communities they serve and into the hands of the Minister. 
Another title that would accurately reflect this bill would be the “Education Polytechnics (Exclude the Community) Amendment Bill” because that is actually what it does. It takes away the representation of the community. If members on the other side of the Chamber are concerned—although we would not know because they have not actually said anything—that that is just Labour’s view I will read to them from the submission of Jono Naylor the Mayor of Palmerston North. This is what he said: “The stated public policy objectives of this bill include to improve the governance capability and effectiveness of polytechnic councils. Yet this bill seeks to reduce local governance and create the potential for majority power on all polytechnic councils to reside with ministerial appointees. This will have the consequence of reducing the perception of academic freedom and reducing the long-term resilience and capabilities of local communities to be significant parts of local service decision making.” That is the point. This bill is reducing the ability of communities to have a say in how their polytechnics are run. 
During the last Parliament under the previous Government we tried to move towards communities being more closely involved in polytechnics because they are so important to the regional labour markets in those communities. This bill means that employers the people who most benefit from those people who graduate from regional polytechnics have no guarantee of representation whatsoever. They are part of the community that will be excluded from being part of that governing role as a result of this bill. Equally organisations representing workers will not be included let alone students staff iwi and all the people who make up the communities that are part of their polytechnics. Those people who feel a sense of ownership of polytechnics and want to support them will be excluded by this bill. 
Perhaps in the end what this bill should be called is the “Education Polytechnics (Tolley’s Folly) Bill” because the Minister has today given the most appalling performance. We have heard only one intervention from the Minister today and it was an intervention that was full of mistruths about the last Government’s record on polytechnics. She did not in any way attempt to justify the bill. On the other side of the Chamber there are experienced members who have not spoken once today to defend this bill and that is a great shame.