3. GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) Link to this
to the Member in charge of the Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill
Does she intend to propose any changes to the Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill as reported back from select committee; if so, what?
Hon HEATHER ROY (Member in charge of the Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill) Link to this
No; I am happy with the bill in its current form. However, all members of the House will have the opportunity during the Committee of the whole House to put forward any amendments they wish.
Can she confirm that 98 percent of the 4,837 submissions on the bill opposed it, including submissions from every tertiary institution, and does this not give her cause to change the bill?
I think that is probably a question best asked of the chair of the Education and Science Committee. However, I understand that there were 4,837 submissions, including 4,418 form submissions. Given the emails over the last 2 days that were facilitated by the New Zealand University Students’ Association, where many people who were purported to have sent the emails did not actually send them, it is difficult to say whether the form submissions actually came from those they were supposed to have come from. However, I will say that around 300 of the submissions were substantive and of very high quality, and provided the committee with evidence it needed.