“ACT Education Spokesperson, Donna Awatere-Huata, should read the Hansard before lambasting zoning schemes,” said New Zealand First Education Spokesperson, Hon Brian Donnelly MP. “ACT voted for the legislation which re-introduced zoning to schools.”

The recent criticisms by Ms Awatere-Huata of school zoning, the source of considerable agitation and anxiety among parents is hard to fathom because ACT supported geographic zoning when it was re-introduced by the National Government in December 1998. It is somewhat duplicitous for her to now be among the system’s critics.

Not only did ACT vote in favour of the legislation, in her third reading speech Donna Awatere-Huata said “… ACT supports the direction in which the legislation heads, certainly enrolment schemes…”

Labour’s legislation introduced balloting, not geographic zoning. “It is a bit rich now for ACT to blame zoning for the ghettoisation of poor kids when it supported its re-introduction less than three years ago,” said Mr Donnelly.

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