Hon Bill English - National Education Spokesman

14 October 2004

NZQA should mind its political manners

The NZQA should heed a warning by the State Services Commissioner and remove a politically charged press release from a prominent position on its website, says National's Education spokesman, Bill English.

"The NZQA has flaunted its blatantly partisan position on the NCEA by displaying a press release sharply critical of my position on the assessment system on the opening page of their website."

"This flies in the face of a warning from the State Services Commissioner, in his annual report, that civil servants must mind their political manners as we move into election mode.

"This is an outrageous abuse of public resources and is completely inappropriate for an agency that is required to be politically neutral.

"The NZQA should stop wasting time trying to discredit me and get on with fixing a system that has faced so much criticism," says Mr English.

ENDS

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