Steven Joyce is breaching his own law

Less than a year ago Steven Joyce passed a new education law requiring that he, as minister of tertiary education, reflect the fact when appointing people to councils of tertiary education institutions, that approximately half New Zealand's population is female (so far as is reasonably practicable).

Yesterday, when making his appointments to Otago University, a council that currently comprises two-thirds men, he choose to reappoint three men and one woman.

The minister is also required by the same law (Education Act s 171B) to reflect the social and economic diversity of the community.

However, his four reappointments are a chartered accountant, a company director, a management consultant and a barrister.

In fact, since his February changes to the Education Act, Minister Joyce has made 35 appointments or reappointments, of which 22 have been men.

Only two of those 35 are not company directors, managers, partners, consultants, commercial lawyers or accountants. And one of those two is an education director for Serco.

TEU national president Sandra Grey says Steven Joyce is ignoring his own legal requirements.

“We believe the minister is breaching the requirements he set out for himself earlier this year. His appointments to date in no way reflect New Zealand’s diverse community or its female population.”

“By picking mostly wealthy businessmen Mr Joyce is deliberately biasing our tertiary education councils and excluding the voices of ordinary New Zealanders.”

“You don’t need to be management consultant or chartered accountant to have something important to contribute to the education of our young New Zealanders.”

ENDS

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