Parmar ParmjeetDr PARMJEET PARMAR (National): Thank you very much Madam Chair for giving me this opportunity to take this call. It was really interesting to see the Minister in the chair Chris Hipkins responding to my Supplementary Order Paper 102. I suggest the Minister go back and hear what the Minister who was in the chair before the dinner break Jenny Salesa said. That Minister very clearly said that yes there are some ministerial appointments. In responding to my Supplementary Order Paper she said yeah that could be a possibility. Now this Minister in the chair he said with a funny gesture that we are getting rid of partnership schools so—ha ha!—why do we need any kind of knowledge and experience that is related to partnership schools on the Teaching Council. So it looks like the two Ministers don't know what they're talking about because in my previous contribution I very clearly said that this experience and knowledge is needed because we want to have legislation that is working long-term for our country not just for this Government.We have already announced that we will be bringing partnership schools back and that doesn't mean that if this Government has decided to get rid of partnership schools we should be working on legislation that is valid only for two years. So that was the point that was made in my previous contribution and it was really interesting to see the response of the Minister that is in the chair now and compare that response with the Minister that was in the chair before the dinner break.I also heard a member from the Government side making fun of partnership schools—counting the numbers of partnership schools and saying that if the Opposition was really interested why when National was in Government did we just have 11 partnership schools? I actually felt really sad seeing that member making fun of partnership schools. On one side they want to have Māori seats entrenched—and these partnership schools are helping Māori kids achieve and they want to get rid of these schools and get rid of the future that these Māori kids can have through partnership schools. I really want to emphasise this point that the Minister should take another call and explain the discrepancy in the responses that I have heard from two Ministers in the chair.I also would like to talk to one submission which relates to the composition of the Teaching Council. This submission is actually from the Education Council—the Education Council that we are dealing with through this whole legislation. Very clearly they have stated that the elected members' criteria does not mean that they bring all the skills and the experience that is needed on the council. Then they went on to say in point nine in their recommendations—this is quoting from their submission—that We consider it would be helpful if the Bill required members to receive some training once they are elected to make sure they are able to participate in the Council effectively and constructively." So now we are talking about training after having this big description of who can get elected on the Teaching Council.So yes we are increasing the membership from nine to 13—six members are going to be appointed by the Minister and seven elected members. There's a full description of who these members can be saying this has to be "1 teacher representing the early childhood education sector … 1 teacher representing the primary education sector … 1 teacher representing the secondary education sector … 1 teacher educator elected by registered teachers … 1 principal representing the primary education sector … 1 principal representing the secondary education sector" and then the last one is an early childhood education service leader. In spite of this description the Education Council itself is not satisfied that people will bring the level of leadership and governance experience that is needed at the Education Council which is going to be called the Teaching Council.I would like the Minister to take another call and explain to us how he can overlook this big requirement of the Education Council of having the governance experience. This is actually available through the structure that we put in place through the changes that we brought in when we were in Government because we wanted to make sure that there are people on the Education Council who bring governance experience. So yes we wanted to make sure some people have a teaching background and bring teaching experience but along with that some people who bring governance experience not necessarily from a teaching background but from the wider sector because that is always helpful.Leadership and governance experience can be transferred to other sectors and this Minister has completely ignored that. Now the Education Council is saying in their submission that there should be some kind of training available to those people who get elected on the Education Council. Then they compared it with legislation governing district health boards. Yes that is the basis of this legislation: the doctors have their representation nurses have their representation—they get the training so this council should also get the training. It's completely mixing up two issues here so the Minister should take the call and explain these points to the committee."