12. Charter Schools—Minister for Youth's Meetings and Prime Minister's Youth AwardsCHRIS BISHOP (National—Hutt South) to the Minister for YouthCharter Schools—Minister for Youth's Meetings and Prime Minister's Youth Awards12. CHRIS BISHOP (National—Hutt South) to the Minister for Youth: What steps has he taken to ensure maximum opportunities for the positive engagement and contribution of Māori youth?Hon PEENI HENARE (Minister for Youth): For New Zealand to thrive now and in the future all young Kiwis need to have the capacity capability and resilience to be the best they can be. As Minister for Youth maximising opportunities for all of New Zealand's young people including Māori youth is a key priority for me.Chris Bishop: What conversations—[Interruption]SPEAKER: Both those interjections—each of them—result in an extra supplementary for the National Party.Chris Bishop: What conversations or discussions has he had with partnership schools?Hon Chris Hipkins: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Minister for Youth has no ministerial responsibility for conversations with partnership schools.SPEAKER: Yes and I'm willing to let the question go forward. It may be that the Minister for Youth in that portfolio has had a discussion with a charter school. We know that it wouldn't be his direct ministerial responsibility but it might have happened as part of his portfolio and if it hasn't happened it's very easy for him to answer.Hon PEENI HENARE: None.Chris Bishop: Has he visited a partnership school?SPEAKER: No I think that that one can now—given the fact that the Minister has clearly said he's had no discussions I don't think he would visit one and not talk to anyone and therefore that—Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. There could well be quite a difference despite your immediate reaction to that and I think that the problem here is that we've got a Minister for Youth who has a very broad responsibility for representation of youth and also a very big responsibility to know what youth issues are. He stated in his primary answer that his concern is particularly for the development of Māori youth and it wouldn't be unreasonable then to ask the question has he visited a partnership school? He may not have talked to staff.SPEAKER: OK on the basis that the Minister might have visited a school and spoken to no one the Minister can answer the question.Hon PEENI HENARE: Not in my capacity as the Minister for Youth.Chris Bishop: Can he confirm that the Prime Minister gave him a stern talking-to for allowing her to appear in a photo at the Prime Minister's own Youth Awards with a student at a partnership school?Hon PEENI HENARE: We are very proud of all of the young people who receive awards at the Prime Minister's awards. Look we don't have the background of every member who received a certificate and I can tell this House that it was over 160 young people who walked across that stage. It is impossible for us to know the background and the school of each student.Chris Bishop: Is he saying then further to that answer that if the Minister and his office and his department had known that a student who was going to receive a Prime Minister's youth award was from a partnership school they would not have received the award?Hon PEENI HENARE: We were there to celebrate youth and that is the kaupapa; as each one walked across that stage they received a warm handshake and congratulations.SPEAKER: Mr Hipkins?Hon Chris Hipkins: Normally you would say that that brings to the end questions for oral answer; that's what I was waiting for.SPEAKER: Sorry it does.