Swarbrick ChlöeCHLÖE SWARBRICK (Green): E Te Māngai tēnā koe. Tēnā koutou e Te Whare. You can tell that we've all just come back from a two-week recess period and everybody is enjoying being back in the House yelling at each other.I just want to bring this back down to what we're actually talking about here and the Education (School Donations) Amendment Bill—that being the third reading tonight the final time that we will have an opportunity to speak about this legislation and the impact that this law and this funding will have on New Zealanders and New Zealand families. We've heard the back and forth both from members of the Government and members of the Opposition about what kind of political promises have or haven't been upheld. But ultimately I think that everyday New Zealanders—a term which the Hon Simon Bridges has liked to bandy about quite a bit recently—out there beyond the scope of this ivory tower probably don't actually care all too much about the politics of it; they care about the accessibility of education for their kids.Look I'll hear members of the Opposition who I absolutely actually agree with that this should be extended to all schools. I would hesitate to say that actually; that's something which all members of Government probably agree with. But what we're doing here is a first step—that being rolling it out to deciles 1 to 7 schools. Those who are talking about the politics of it are entirely missing the point that this is about the practical implications that this will have for those everyday New Zealanders that the Hon Simon Bridges likes to talk about so much.When we're talking about education school donations—or the school donations as defined in this legislation—what we're actually talking about is solicited voluntary payments from parents. Most parents who send their kids off to school will be aware of this in the form of the generally $100 $150-odd donation that is asked for.I'd like to touch on a point that's been raised by a number of members of the Opposition particularly about the fact that we currently have disadvantaged children disadvantaged rangatahi inside of our deciles 8 to 10 schools. It's absolutely true; I was one of them when I was at high school. I was sent off to a magnet school" in Auckland that was a decile 10 and my family struggled to make that $150 school donation. I had the yearbook withheld from me and my little sister until that $150 donation was paid. This is the kind of supposed voluntary solicited donation that currently occurs or is rather coerced out of families and whānau across the country and quite frankly that isn't fair and quite frankly that should be something which is applied across the board to all schools. But at this point in time we are looking at simply doing the first practical step. I don't think that it kind of makes sense to begrudge the roll-out of that first step when we are making life easier— Hon Member: Don't promise it if you can't do it. CHLÖE SWARBRICK: —for those who are in deciles 1 to 7. For those who are saying "Don't promise it." again it's the politics of it all I personally—whatever.So the other point that has been raised is with regard to overhaul of the decile system in general. Members of the Opposition have spoken about how this has to occur and of course the Hon Chris Hipkins the Minister of Education with whom we are in confidence and supply and obviously New Zealand First my colleague Mark Patterson have discussed this extensively and with obviously the Hon Tracey Martin the Associate Minister of Education around the kind of overhaul that needs to occur with regard to the decile system so that we do end up with funding that is more reflective of the needs of our schools.But I think in talking to anybody who's involved in the education system across the board you'll find that our schools need and are crying out for more funding everywhere—whether it is for those school supplies whether it is for school buildings or whether it is for those children who need learning support. And this is dare I say it you know the unions who the Opposition like to invoke relatively frequently as those who stood outside of this Parliament asking for better pay for their teachers—those unions will also be those who will refer to the nine years of underfunding and that hole which we are trying to fill and catch up with.So this is an important step in the right direction—a really important step in the right direction. I frankly don't understand why members of the Opposition would seek to begrudge those kids and those families who are in deciles 1 to 7 $150 per student per year when we can seek to roll this out to deciles 8 to 10 as well.As has been mentioned we also need that overhaul of the school funding system. But while that is happening again why would you begrudge those children and their families of the ability to access that support?So in closing the Greens contribution to this debate and substantial massive support and backing for this incredible kaupapa—that being making education more accessible in this country—the Greens are very proud to support it in its third reading. Kia ora."