Chris
HIPKINS
Education Spokesperson
5 September 2014 MEDIA STATEMENT
Candles out on teachers’ slice of birthday cake
Today may be Novopay’s second birthday, but there’s little to celebrate, Labour’s Education spokesperson Chris Hipkins
says.
“Novopay has cost the taxpayer tens of millions of dollars already, and the cost is still climbing.
“Even worse, Novopay continues to be a major distraction for school staff and teachers throughout the country.
“Every week schools are having to devote thousands of extra staff hours to payroll. That’s time and energy that isn’t
going towards our kids’ education.
“Just this week Novopay claimed another victim – Hekia Parata herself – with the Education Minister caught out using
incorrect information from Novopay to claim that teacher numbers have been increasing under National when in fact they
haven’t.
“Labour will get schools and teachers focused back on what matters – educating kids.
“Our plan will see 2,000 extra teachers employed in schools throughout New Zealand. Unlike Hekia Parata’s phantom
teachers, these will be real people teaching real kids,” Chris Hipkins says.