Dalziel Lianne: General Debate 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Dalziel Lianne: General Debate 
[Sitting date: 24 October 2012. Volume:685;Page:6139. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL (Labour—Christchurch East) 
: 
 I want to begin by acknowledging that families in Christchurch have been through an emotional roller coaster since they struggled to get to the schools where their children were on 22 February last year. I want to acknowledge all of those teachers and principals who stood alongside those children until their parents could make it there. They guaranteed the children one thing for those parents: they would be kept safe and sound until they arrived at the school. Of course it is the memory of that care and indeed the memory of how well the schools have provided both a stable environment and a sense of normality for these children that has left the communities with a sense of absolute obligation and respect for the teachers and for the schools in terms of how they have supported their communities. That is why these communities are absolutely despairing of the Minister of Education’s shake-up in education. 
We have already debated in the House how this was handled by the Government. It was appalling. There could be no worse way of actually diminishing the respect for both the schools and the situation in Christchurch with people suffering from the ongoing effect of aftershocks even minor ones—I think one last night woke people up again. It is just a constant reminder of the difficulties that people face. Then we ended up with this sudden announcement. With the impact on principals and boards of trustees who were brought to a meeting with no idea what was about to be announced and the way they were treated how their schools found out and then how their communities found out it really has been the worst handled of all of the earthquake-related announcements that this Government has been responsible for and it has been responsible for some pretty serious ones. 
This is not how one empowers communities after a disempowering event. Sir Peter Gluckman who writes as the Chief Science Advisor for the Prime Minister said this is not the way that one ensures that communities can recover from the consequences of the disaster. We have got a man-made disaster on our own hands now as a result of the way the Government is treating the response to education. 
But I do want to acknowledge that the Minister according to the 
 Press 
 this morning has written to the 38 schools that are now earmarked for closure or merger to say at last that she will want to talk to them that she would like to hear from them and that she will listen to them. I want to hold her to that account. I will be holding her to that account as will every member of the Opposition in this House because it is absolutely imperative that she restores the damage that she has done by fixing the problem. Those schools that have asked for an extension of time must be granted an extension of time. It should not be a question of whether they can persuade her or not or that she will just consider it as she said in the House yesterday; she must agree to the extension of time. It is simply untenable that schools and their communities that struggle under the circumstances in Christchurch have got term 4 to respond to the proposal to close or merge their schools. That is 7 December this year. That simply is not good enough. 
The schools I have talked to have asked for an extension to the end of term 1 which is April 2013. That says to me that the schools are reasonable. They are willing and reasonable to listen to the Minister’s call for change. In fact they want to see change. They know that things cannot go back to the way they were. But when I read in the paper that at the same time she said that she understood how difficult the changes were for Christchurch but given the extent of the damage and the population movement the sector simply could not be returned to how it was I just want to say that that adds insult to injury. 
Every single school is willing to have the conversation about the future of education. They have shown willing in terms of the care and support they have given those children in difficult circumstances. They want to build back better. They want to make sure that they are responsive to the needs of their community. That is why they all engaged openly in the conversation around the education recovery plan. The previous Minister of Education made it absolutely clear that that process was not about places or services; it was about the principles of what education could provide and would provide for the future of Christchurch. And yet we have suddenly had it turned into specific places and services. We have had specific options determined by the Minister and I want to say that there is no way on earth that a Labour Government would allow that to happen. 
The debate having concluded the motion lapsed.