6. Charter Schools—Māori EducationHon NIKKI KAYE (National—Auckland Central) to the Associate Minister of Education (Māori Education)Charter Schools—Māori Education6. Hon NIKKI KAYE (National—Auckland Central) to the Associate Minister of Education (Māori Education): Has he received any reports indicating challenges in Māori education achievement?Hon KELVIN DAVIS (Associate Minister of Education (Māori Education)): Yes I have. Most importantly I've heard from Māori parents and teachers who are ecstatic that this Government has removed national standards—a barrier to Māori educational achievement the National Government put in place.SPEAKER: Order! Just before the member asks her question I do want to make it very clear that in answering Yes" to that question the Minister is saying that he has received official reports in that area. If that's not the case he should make it clear now.Hon KELVIN DAVIS: No Mr Speaker not official reports but certainly reports from parents.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It was a very interesting point that you laid out for the House and probably very instructional for the Government but is that an appropriate role for the Speaker—to ask for someone to correct an answer in the House? That's not what we understand the normal procedure to be.SPEAKER: Yes and the problem that I had Mr Brownlee was that the answer was effectively out of order because it said "Yes" at the beginning and then indicated that the report that had been received was not an official report. I just wanted to clarify with the member in order to assist members with their supplementaries. It is something that I have done at least twice previously once with a Government supplementary involving Mr Robertson and once with an Opposition supplementary previously. I know that there's not a high level of understanding within members of the House as to what receiving means as opposed to seeing and the difference it means for ministerial responsibility.Hon Nikki Kaye: Has he received communications or had discussions with partnership schools about the impact and challenges to young Māori of getting rid of the partnership schools model?Hon KELVIN DAVIS: I've had communications with some current charter schools. They're mainly concerned about the scaremongering that's been propagated by members of the Opposition in particular members such as herself who are doing their best Chicken Little impersonation telling them the sky is going to fall down on their heads. However I am comforted by the old Ngāpuhi saying that says loosely translated "A chicken is just a grown-up egg."Hon Nikki Kaye: When the Prime Minister said he had discussions with several partnership schools can he confirm he was not acting in his capacity as Associate Minister of Education?Hon KELVIN DAVIS: The charter schools in the north contacted me as their local member of Parliament because they were scared about the scaremongering that's been propagated by the Opposition MPs around charter schools.Hon Nikki Kaye: Will he cooperate fully with the formal complaint that has been lodged against him by a partnership school that he is giving preferential treatment by responding only to partnership schools that he has links with?Hon KELVIN DAVIS: This is a great opportunity for me to explain. I am aware of that complaint she's mentioned. Let me say that on 12 February I actually tried to ring one of the members of another charter school in west Auckland. They didn't pick up the phone. But again—[Interruption]SPEAKER: Order! I do get the idea that members on my left would like this series of questions to continue. If they do they're going to listen to the answers.Hon KELVIN DAVIS: Thank you Mr Speaker. I just want to say to the member though that there's been no favouritism. I was approached by He Puna Mārama Trust because of the scaremongering and the false information being propagated. So I responded to them and talked them through the publicly available information that the Minister—the fantastic the best education Minister in 10 years—proactively released just last week.Hon Nikki Kaye: In light of the Radio New Zealand story a number of minutes ago that says "Labour Māori MPs including Kelvin Davis have given their word that Māori charter schools will not shut down."—Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I don't think it does this Parliament any service to see a member reading the question out from a telephone which is something I've never seen before. It lowers the dignity of this Parliament—SPEAKER: Order! I'm going to ask the right honourable Deputy Prime Minister to repeat his point of order and I will not have any interjection during points of order.Rt Hon Winston Peters: My point of order is about the dignity of this House. It is not enhanced when someone is reading their question out from their cellphone which is what I saw. If you want to look at the parliamentary record it'll show that as well. That's what I'm raising as a matter of public order.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Mr Speaker—SPEAKER: No I don't need the member's assistance. I think members these days get their information in the House in a variety of manners and Radio New Zealand is available on the cellphones. If the member is quoting from that it is something that I have seen done previously. If the member was being supplied by a person outside with particular questions to be asked that would be a different matter. But I think it's an unreasonable assumption to make.Hon Nikki Kaye: In light of the Radio New Zealand story a number of minutes ago that says that "Labour Māori MPs including Kelvin Davis have given their word that Māori charter schools will not shut down." will he fully cooperate with the inquiry where people are saying he's given preferential treatment in a complex legal process?SPEAKER: In so far as he has ministerial responsibility which I haven't yet seen.Hon KELVIN DAVIS: Mr Speaker I'll cooperate with whatever the complaint process is. But let me say that I'm happy to get in touch with other charter schools. I'm happy to speak to them if they too are confused by the scaremongering and misinformation of the Opposition parties."