Tracey Martin MP
Spokesperson for Education

6 March 2013

Steven Joyce in denial over Education Ministry in crisis

Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce is delusional over the dysfunctional leadership of the Education Ministry, says New Zealand First.

Mr Joyce claims there are no problems in the Ministry and Education Minister Hekia Parata isn’t to blame for the golden handshake awarded to Education Secretary Lesley Longstone.

Education spokesperson Tracey Martin says if Minister Parata is blameless for the failed working relationship, then what really went wrong?

“Ms Longstone’s resignation has been a costly exercise for taxpayers, with Prime Minister John Key implying the $267,953 in severance pay is nothing in the scheme of things.

“Plenty of teachers could offer suggestions of where the money could be better spent on education.

“Mr Key and his Government are clearly out of touch, with the Prime Minister appearing to think that he is still working as a money trader with Merrill Lynch.”

Ms Martin says months after Ms Longstone left her role, nothing’s been done to improve a Ministry in crisis.

“Teachers still face on-going problems with the Novopay system while the Government fails to take decisive action to fix the bungled pay roll system.

“The Government’s relentless attack at the heart of education smacks of arrogance,” says Ms Martin.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

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>>