Chris
HIPKINS
Acting Education Spokesperson

30 January 2013 MEDIA STATEMENT

PM Must Own Hekia’s Bad Karma

Hekia Parata’s glib dismissal of the non-payment of Ministry of Education staff today as “karma” is outrageous, and John Key should tell her to apologise, says Chris Hipkins.

Staff at Hekia Parata’s own Ministry have missed out on being paid today, and will have to wait until tomorrow to get paid.

“Hekia Parata might think she is being cute by suggesting her own officials deserve not to be paid because of the Novopay stuff-up, but I doubt Ministry workers are laughing.

“How would Hekia Parata feel if she didn’t get paid until Novopay was working? Now, that would be karma.

“Is this the sort of ‘smooth communication’ from Hekia that John Key was talking about when he kept Hekia on as his Minister of Education?

“John Key should force his Minister to apologise for telling hundreds of public service workers they don’t deserve to be paid on time.

“John Key backed Hekia Parata to the hilt. Her stuff-ups are his stuff-ups,” says Chris Hipkins.

labour.org.nz

ENDS

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