McClay Todd: Education (National Standards) Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee 
McClay Todd: Education (National Standards) Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee 
[Volume:651;Page:604] 
TODD McCLAY (National—Rotorua) 
: 
 What a great piece of legislation this will become when it is adopted later this week. Finally after 9 years of a Government whose members are now sitting on the Opposition benches we have legislation that will deal with the big issues. The big issues are the children of this country who cannot read or write properly. Is it not great that finally after 9 years we have a Minister of Education who cares about children in our country? Is it not great that we have a Minister who is willing to do the hard yards and who is willing to stand up and say that we believe promises are important? Promises are important. 
I can understand that Opposition members would be concerned. They would be concerned that the explanatory note states that the bill gives the Minister of Education the power to set national standards in literacy and numeracy. I can see why they would be concerned because how many Ministers of Education were there over the last 9 years and how many of those Ministers of Education cared enough to set standards so our children would be able to read and write properly? I can understand their concern. 
What is wrong with setting standards? What is wrong with parents knowing whether their kids are able to read and write properly? Every single parent in this country wants his or her child to do well and I tell the House there is nothing at all wrong with that. Schools will be required to assess students and report to teachers in plain English— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Report to parents—the member can’t even read. 
TODD McCLAY 
: —report to parents in plain English and not in text-speak I tell that member or in little slogans that say “Wassup”. It should be in real common English that people can understand. That is the important thing. 
This is about national standards and that is the three Rs. That is not Rip Van Winkle and his two sleepy mates over there; that is reading writing and maths—arithmetic. That is what we need in this country and that is what our teachers want to teach children in this country. I think it is disgusting that members on that side of the House firstly want to blame parents and say they are responsible. Then they want to say the children are the ones who are responsible. Finally tonight in this House we have heard that it is the teachers who are responsible. Well it is not the teachers; it is the system. And do members know who is responsible for that system? It is the Government of the last 9 years the party sitting on that side of the Chamber that has not cared enough about our children. 
As I sat here today I found a magazine in front of me  
The 
Economist 
 which has just been published. I was flicking through it because I am like a lot of other people around this country—mothers who are listening here tonight—who are concerned about the future of their children but all we are finding from the other side of the House is rhetoric and concern. No wonder so many of our kids are concerned at the moment. On page 51 of  
The 
Economist 
— 
Hon Phil Goff 
: They are awake at the start of the speech but they won’t be awake at the end of it. 
TODD McCLAY 
: I tell the Leader of the Opposition that it says “Hold your breath!”. I think that was written for him. It says “Hold your breath!”. Then when I moved over to the next page I thought “Oh look at this; someone must have seen what has happened in this country in the last month. Somebody must have realised what happened on 8 November.” It says “On your bike!”. There is another one—it says “On your bike!”. This cannot be about New Zealand but page 53 says “The Fading of Labour”. I thought “Well that must be it. There can’t be anything else in here at all.” But sure enough on page 56 it says “Stopping the rot”. This legislation is about stopping the rot that the Labour Party has allowed to develop over 9 years. 
I am proud to stand up and speak on behalf of the people of Rotorua. I had a great opportunity to talk to thousands of the people of Rotorua and they told me they like their teachers there but they do not like what this previous Government did over the last 9 years. Do members know what those people said after 9 years of listening? They said they wanted more for their children. They want more for their children in Rotorua and they want more for the children in many other parts of this country. I am glad that this Government has been able to help them get better things through this legislation— 
Hon Parekura Horomia 
: Give an example! It’s on zero mate. 
TODD McCLAY 
: —and I am glad that member has finally woken up so that he can listen to a good speech. 
I received a text from the people of Murupara that said “Todd we’re looking forward to your speech but you can tell one of those members on the other side that we would like to see the colour of his eyes when the person behind him is speaking.” That was from the people of Murupara. The member is welcome to come to Muruapara with me and we can go and see those people. 
I went to Murupara 3 weeks ago when one of the smallest schools in my electorate held its annual prize-giving. Teachers are working hard at that school and parents come to the school to help their children. The parents in Murupara say to me that members on that side of the House not only should wake up but they should know they need some more help. Those members should be making sure that the parents know how hard the teachers are working and finally we have a Government that will help teachers support teachers and let them get on and do their job. How about no more complaining about the teachers from that side of the House? How about supporting the teachers? I think there is still a teacher in Rotorua who voted for the member’s party. I say to the member that he should still support him. 
I will finish here because the previous Minister wants to take the floor. When Labour came into Government—9 years ago—children were being born. This year when Labour was thrown out of office those children were 9 years of age. One in five of those children cannot read properly cannot write properly and cannot do his or her maths properly. It might have been all right for the last Government that New Zealand falls below Kazakhstan when it comes to maths but it is not good enough for this Government. 
I will conclude on something that is potentially dangerous. I have heard what is potentially dangerous tonight from members on that side of the House. They told us it is education. It is not education it is the lack of education that is potentially dangerous—the lack of education. The people in the Rotorua electorate had a choice this year and they stood up and said what was potentially dangerous for them was Labour Party sponsored underachievement. That is potentially dangerous for them. They also said Labour Party ignorance of mums and dads is potentially dangerous. But the biggest choice for people in Rotorua this year was whether to have another Labour Government that was potentially dangerous for our children. The people of Rotorua are wise and I thank them for letting me stand here as their local member of Parliament to make sure that this Government will do the right thing by their children. Thank you.