Willis NicolaNICOLA WILLIS (National): Tēnā koe Mr Speaker. I want to confess. Some days I temporarily put aside my parliamentary duties so I can drop my kids off at school and pick them up. It's a juggle. I don't always do it elegantly. With four to squeeze in the back seat it's true that occasionally one drifts from the group. But when I do this dropping off at school and picking up from school I have the opportunity to chat with teachers and to chat with mums and dads about what matters to them and my kids love it.Let me tell you that a fortnight from now those very same mums and dads will be scrambling. They will be scrambling because for the first time since 1994 teachers will be on strike. Those parents will be scrambling because their kids will be having a day off school. They'll be scrambling for childcare. Some will have to take time off work. Others will have to pull a favour from grandma. Others will have to spend the money that was meant for new shoes on a babysitter. And those parents will be stressed out but they won't blame teachers for their stress—they appreciate the hard work that teachers do for their children and the efforts they put in. I'll tell you who they'll blame for their predicament. They will blame this Labour Government. They will blame this Labour Government for not sorting out the pay arrangements for teachers.They expect this Government to have its priorities straight and they are very sceptical when Labour says there's no money for teachers. And sceptical they should be because we just saw this very same Government shed billions on free fees for tertiary students and as Nikki Kaye pointed out today that sum alone would pay for the teacher pay claim twice over. They have watched this Government shed money on more diplomats and a play fund for its coalition partner. So we can forgive the parents of New Zealand when they say Why hasn't this Government got its priorities straight and sorted out this teacher pay claim?"The parents I speak to don't actually ask for much. They didn't ask for a grand education hui bringing together every man and his dog—they didn't ask for that. Their priorities are simple. What they say to the National MPs who listen to them—to people like me—is that they want their kids to go to school without teachers striking. They want to see teachers paid more. They want teachers to be treated as the respected professionals they are. They'd like smaller class sizes so that their son or daughter can get just a little bit more attention. They want smaller class sizes so that their child's teacher has a more manageable workload and can do their best teaching every day. They would like to be able to send their child to a day care or a kindy without worrying about the quality of the care that they will get. They'd like to know the Government is investing in the Education Review Office so it can do a better job of checking centres are following the rules and caring properly for the well-being of children.To the mums and dads of New Zealand I say that National is listening. We understand your priorities and they will be our priorities in our education policy because we know that you're not asking for what Chris Hipkins is serving. You're not asking for a grand education vision statement to unite them all.Parents are not asking for multiple reviews with reference groups advisory committees and focus groups. No they are not. But is Mr Hipkins listening? It may come as a surprise to him but most parents don't want to go to Auckland or Christchurch for the day for a hui. They don't want to have to get a babysitter so that they can go to a seminar on the big questions in NCEA. They want to get on with parenting and they want their simple priorities listened to.Now while I'm on my feet it's important that I take this opportunity to address the issue of Victoria University. Mr Hipkins went there. I went there. I'm a proud alumnus and I think many members of this House are. I value that university for the experiences it gave me for the husband I found there and for the debating club I debated for. That name "Victoria University of Wellington" resonates for me and it resonates for thousands of students and former students and Wellingtonians and yet that university is proposing to bin that name and to throw away the 120 years of history of heritage that goes with that name because some branding experts have said that they've got a better idea.Well I put it on the record today that the Minister of Education must reject that bid. When the decision comes to him to sign off on a change to the name of Victoria University he must be on the side of valuing the past and the heritage it represents and maintaining the good name of Vic—Victoria University of Wellington."