Chris Hipkins
Associate Education Spokesperson

28 November 2012

Nervous Nats block Parliamentary inquiry into Novopay

National’s decision to block a Select Committee inquiry into the Novopay debacle is as irresponsible as it is cowardly, says Chris Hipkins.

Two weeks ago Labour’s Education spokesperson Nanaia Mahuta wrote to the chairperson of the Education and Science Select Committee calling for a wide ranging inquiry into Novopay. But today the National Party MPs on the committee voted against holding an inquiry.

“Novopay has been an utter shambles. Its introduction was delayed for two years and then when it was rolled-out there were thousands of errors, several privacy and security breaches and the training and support for schools was completely inadequate. The list of failings goes on and on.

“The Ministry of Education’s belated announcement of an independent review is welcome. But until further details are made public about the terms of reference and who will conduct the review it is too early to say whether it will be sufficient.

“Novopay has cost taxpayers $30-million dollars already. The public and the Parliament deserve to know what went wrong and why.

“A select committee inquiry could have got to the bottom of the matter in an open and transparent way. What is National trying to hide?

“Craig Foss and Hekia Parata have let down teachers, schools and parents with their negligence and poor oversight. It is a shame their National Party colleagues on the Education and Science Select Committee are helping them cover-up for their incompetence,” says Chris Hipkins.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>