Chris

HIPKINS

Acting Education Spokesperson

18 January 2013 MEDIA STATEMENT
Front-footing Novopay failure not the answer

While problems with the Novopay system get worse rather than better, the Government is still missing in action, Labour’s Acting Education spokesperson Chris Hipkins says.

“Today we’ve got the Ministry of Education telling thousands of school staff to prepare for the worst, even though they’ve supposedly spent months ‘fixing’ the problems with Novopay.

“Front-footing future failures won’t win the Ministry any friends. Most of us had hoped it couldn’t get much worse – that was obviously tempting fate.

“While the Novopay shambles continues to roll on, John Key’s ‘smooth’ operator - Education Minister Hekia Parata - is incommunicado. Her Associate Craig Foss is nowhere to be seen either.

“National has had months to sort out this mess, yet they continue to take the hands-off approach that got them into trouble in the first place.

“Last year the courts told the Education Minister she was abdicating her responsibilities as a decision maker when it came to the closure of special residential schools. Well, she is abdicating her responsibilities when it comes to ensuring people get paid on time too.

“If this is the level of accountability John Key is willing to accept from his ministers his government will join him on thin ice,” Chris Hipkins said.

ENDS

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