Minister needs to front up over Novopay sign-off

29 November 2012
Immediate Release

Minister of Education needs to front up over Novopay sign-off

Revelations that the Minister of Education Hekia Parata signed off a Ministry document in June for Novopay to go live, shows that responsibility for the blunder lies with the Minister despite her deputy Craig Foss fronting the Novopay issue.

“This is about ministerial responsibility and the Minister of Education needs to front up. She is the Minister responsible. This is about what she knew, or ought to have known, in signing up for this,” says NZEI National Secretary Paul Goulter.

Associate Minister Craig Foss affirmed in Parliament today that the Minister did sign the beleaguered payroll system off to go live.

“This is further condemnation of the Government’s handling of this shambles. It brings into questions two things: one is a complete lack of planning and research and the other is a question of ministerial responsibility.

NZEI is welcoming an independent and public review.

“This is even more important now. And these are the questions we need answered: What caused the catastrophe, who is responsible, and how do we make sure this never happens again?

“I would not want to see any other group in the public sector put through this.”

ENDS

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