Legislation this week - 9-11 February, 2010

Question time will resume on Wednesday 10 February, 2010.

- Motion without Notice: Condolence motion regarding Haiti disaster
- Motion without Notive: Condolence motion regarding Squadron Leader Nick Cree
- Prime Minister’s Statement
- Valedictory statement: Jeanette Fitzsimons

Government Bills:

Appropriation (2008/09 Financial Review) Bill – Second Reading
ACT to Support

Children, Young Persons, and Their Families (Youth Courts Jurisdiction and Orders) Amendment Bill – Second Reading
ACT to Support

Child and Family Protection Bill – First Reading
ACT to Support

Judicial Matters Bill – Second Reading
ACT to Support

A more detailed rundown of Parliament this week can be viewed by clicking on 'In The House' or at http://www.roy.org.nz/inthehouse

The new school year got underway last week with 9,900 new entrants starting their first day of school with brand new backpacks, shiny shoes, and freshly sharpened pencils. I am sure it was a mixture of nerves and excitement for parents and students alike. The new entrants are joining 754,000 other students who will be attending schools around the country this year.

The new school year has seen several changes from 2009 in the number of students enrolled and the diversity in our classrooms. Birth rates, migration rates, and the current economic climate are all factors that affect the makeup of New Zealand school rolls.

Primary school rolls are expected to increase by about 2,250 compared to the 2009 school year. The growing number of new entrant students enrolling is a direct consequence of the number of births increasing since 2003 following a lower birth rate from 1992-2003. This is predicted to be the peak until 2012/13 when the high birth numbers of 2007/2008 will start to affect primary school rolls.

The economic climate also appears to have affected student numbers as retention of students at the other end of the spectrum – secondary school leavers - has increased by 6.8% between 2009 and 2010 compared to 2008-2009. It is possible that reduced employment prospects have influenced many students’ decisions to return to school beyond the years of compulsory education.

New Zealand classrooms are also becoming more diverse with increasing proportions of Maori, Pasifika, and Asian students. Over the last decade this has been a growing trend with the declining numbers of European/Pakeha students and increasing numbers of Maori, Pasifika, and Asian students. In addition, New Zealand gained 1,600 students between the ages of 5 and 17 through migration last year

With the school year now in its second week I am sure students have formed many new friendships and are settling into their new, or not so new, schools. As Associate Minister of Education, I am once again looking forward to seeing for myself students in their classrooms throughout the year.

When I received an invitation to visit the Karori Sanctuary today to see the current re-development taking place and have a walk around the bush I jumped at the opportunity. Wellington put on a perfect sunny day today for some bird and wildlife spotting.

The Karori Sanctuary is unique and is one of Wellington’s true assets. The Sanctuary is just ten minutes from the city centre and provides a wonderful opportunity to see New Zealand birds, insects and lizards in their natural environment of New Zealand native fauna. On my trip this afternoon I saw amongst other things three Tuatara sunning themselves on rocks, some very well camouflaged green geckos and a number of different birds including Saddlebacks, Fantails, Hihi and Bellbirds.

Nancy, the Chief Executive of the Karori Sanctuary Trust was a wonderful tour guide and started the visit off by showing me around the building which will become the new visitor centre. All guests will pass through the centre on arrival at the Sanctuary and have the opportunity to view displays and a movie from multiple levels. I was impressed with the thought behind the new development, with exhibitions planned to highlight not only Wellington region’s conservation efforts but other New Zealand sites serving to protect our native wildlife such as Codfish Island and Kapiti Island. Visitors will also be able to learn about the story behind New Zealand’s native birds and the evolution from Gondwana to the New Zealand we live in today.

The Sanctuary is still open to the public during the renovations and summer is a great time of year to take a look around so I highly recommend a visit while the sun is still shining – overseas visitors in particular will be impressed with the variety of unique wildlife New Zealand has. I’m definitely planning another visit to see the new facilities and exhibitions when they open at Easter this year.

More on the Karori Sanctuary can be found at http://www.visitzealandia.com/Site/Zealandia_Home/Default.aspx

Yesterday I took my teenage boys to view the original Treaty of Waitangi documents at the Archives New Zealand (National Archives) in Wellington. They don’t normally open at the weekend, but did yesterday to mark the 170th anniversary of the signing. The Treaty, after restoration from damage caused by age, rats and water damage, is displayed in glass cabinets in a vault – the Constitution Room - and has subdued lighting to protect the parchment and paper of the nine documents that form the written Treaty. To my surprise the boys were as interested in the original Treaty as I was and they clearly enjoyed telling me the odd fact or two that I hadn’t been previously aware of!

Also housed in the vault were a number of other precious historical documents including the 1893 Women’s Suffrage Petition.

Waitangi Day provides us with an opportunity to reflect on where we have come from and how we have evolved as a nation. In 2006 I went to Waitangi and was impressed with the positive attitudes and welcoming environment I saw. It was the first peaceful Waitangi Day for some time and this was probably due to the fact that the Maori Party had just been elected to parliament.

Media commentary in the run-up to Waitangi Day for the past couple of years has largely focussed on flags, Republic vs Monarchy, National Anthems and this year there was even a survey on whether or not we should replace New Zealand as the name of our country! These topics all provoke a wide range of responses, especially the flag debate. Although symbolic these debates only address the cosmetic – as one friend said to me recently “the paint on the yacht that is New Zealand”. The real issue we should be addressing is a constitution for New Zealand – principles that our legislative framework operates on. I’m not saying it will be easy but it is, in my view, an essential basis for the future of New Zealand. Then we can decide on a flag and a National Anthem that represents everyone.

Every year, in the lead-up to Waitangi Day, political leaders traditionally make their ‘State of the Nation’ speeches before descending on the Bay of Islands for commemoration of the 1840 Treaty. In the last couple of decades, 6 February has developed a tendency toward a rather unhealthy mix of sensationalism and introspection. The scorecard each year tends to be dominated by the level of angst at official gatherings but I don’t think that this is an accurate reflection of the state of the nation or, for that matter, the world.

Amongst other things, the Treaty of Waitangi brought a formal end to military hostilities between Maori and Britain. What lessons can be learned from the shared experience before, during and since that event?

Military planning has traditionally been oriented toward the protection of people, assets and the means by which one uses the other to generate wealth. In an era of increasing irrelevance for the nation state, does that raison d’être hold true? Because, while there are those who feel genuinely aggrieved; who lack such basics as water, food, shelter and choices about their future; there can never be peace. They will not fight us or our allies in order to defend their assets and wealth. They will fight to survive. They will fight to the death to protect their children. We would do the same in their circumstances.

There can never be enduring peace while there are people in the world who lack the basic elements for sustaining life, who crave a sense of belonging and the chance to better themselves. Therefore, a national security policy based solely on protecting us and our wealth from the cries of those who have nothing will have the effect of multiplying by zero. Such an approach will not result in peace and security. It will have absolutely the opposite effect.

If peace is the absence of war and security is the lack of invaders – in all their forms – at our doors, then NZ has not been at peace for a very long time. We need capable armed forces but, in isolation, the strongest force is irrelevant if not combined with effective Governmental means for addressing the cries of the needy – here and abroad.

A new Government brings with it the chance to change step. By that, I don’t mean greater powers for the State. Actually, I mean just the opposite. We must remove the barriers to people’s choices in every walk of life and they, by their choices, will 'declare peace' because they will have been given the greatest gift that any Government can bestow.

FREEDOM.