Plumbers board sacked for high standards

National Party Education spokesman Bill English says Labour has sacked the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Registration Board because of its commitment to high standards of workmanship in the plumbing trade.

He says the board has been punished for its refusal to drop its standards to fit in with Labour’s bums-on-seats attitude to trade training.

“Labour want big numbers through trade training courses but the plumbers won’t allow the quality of workmanship to be sacrificed in order to meet Labour’s targets.

“The board insisted on apprentices passing exams only if they were competent.”

Mr English says Labour believes any attempt to maintain high standards is elitist.

“This attitude will create the same problems in trade training as it has in tertiary education and NCEA – where mediocrity rules and huge amounts of public money is wasted on complicated systems that don't work.

“Plumbing training has been disrupted by industry politics in recent years. Labour should have let the industry sort out its problems itself, rather than taking sides.

“Other trades had better be careful - Labour will not tolerate anyone whose commitment to quality workmanship conflicts with Labour’s political objectives,” says Mr English.

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