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PM to review education appointment fiasco

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Tue, 20 Dec 2011 4:57p.m.

Prime Minister John Key (AAP file)

Prime Minister John Key (AAP file)

Prime Minister John Key will review how one of his ministers handled a fiasco involving a ministry appointment for a former principal who was suspended from a previous job.

The Teachers' Council Disciplinary Tribunal last week deregistered Deborah Mutu, the former principal of Northland's Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Kaikohe, and her husband Hone, a former teacher at the school.

Both were suspended by the school's board of trustees in 2007 after Mrs Mutu ignored a report that her husband kissed a 15-year-old student.

She then ordered staff to tear up the student's written complaint.

In February this year, Mrs Mutu was employed by the Ministry of Education as an expert to advise principals, but her job was terminated when the ministry became aware of the disciplinary proceedings.

Former Education Minister Anne Tolley dismissed concerns about Mrs Mutu's appointment in October, accusing Labour of "muck-raking" and denying Mrs Mutu had been suspended.

On Tuesday, Mrs Tolley blamed the Ministry of Education for giving her bad advice.

"Employment issues are always dealt with by the ministry so as an individual appointment I wouldn't have any information," she said.

"I rely entirely on the ministry to give me any advice in order to answer a question."

Mr Key said he would look into the matter.

"I haven't had a good review of that situation. I'll go away and have a look at that, but I have confidence in my ministers otherwise I wouldn't reappoint them."

Labour's Sue Moroney, who first raised the issue in parliament, welcomed a review.

She said Mrs Tolley had misled parliament and the media on the issue.

"As soon as Anne Tolley became aware the statements she had were wrong she should have corrected them," Mrs Moroney says.

"Instead she has tried to weasel out of taking responsibility for her actions."

NZN

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Comments

03 Jan 2012 05:49p.m.

wondering wrote:

I am wondering why the national govt and ministers are dismissing to many very serious concerns as "muck raking" . It seems any inquiry or complaint is written off as vexatious

02 Jan 2012 04:08a.m.

irascible wrote:

KeY will cover, scuttle, run, smile & wave and sweep Tolley's incompetence under the already bulging carpets of National Party scandals and bellicose bullying that have bedevilled the KeY led government since day 1. He will slap Tolley with a wet bus ticket then let Banks loose to cover up the mess with belligerent talk. KeY can't be trusted with the Nation - unfortunately for NZ he has been re-elected.... oh misery!!!

26 Dec 2011 09:03p.m.

Kevin M wrote:

The law needs changing for victims of rape/murder/abuse,the rules need changing to compensate fully those who suffer not only from direct original effliction but from officialdoms failure to protect when called upon.

24 Dec 2011 10:21p.m.

cyb_ed wrote:

I wonder if Mrs Tolley was not retained in the education portfolio because it would be too politically embarassing for the National Party to have her continue because of her stuff up over the matter of employing staff as experts to advise other schools who had previously been dismissed from their principleship. Such issues just compound her incompetence as a Minister of the Crown and the most unpopular Minister of Education in my 34 years of teaching.

23 Dec 2011 08:56a.m.

Geoff wrote:

Tolley should explain herself rather than have Key conduct the whitewash. More specifically her press secretary should resign for claiming the media ( Radio NZ ) "made up" the story.

22 Dec 2011 08:31a.m.

george wrote:

Clarke you have just clearly demonstrated that you have completely lost the plot with this rant. You really need to leave NZ as you are obviously unhappy here. That would assist you and also the rest of the NZ. Please give some thought to your comments before posting them.

21 Dec 2011 08:46a.m.

Clarke wrote:

John Key, Prime Minister by default... no actual moral mandate to govern. 66 percent of voters either didnt vote for him at all or voted to the left. I do not respect a man that could not garner a solid moral mandate from the voting public. I do not respect a man who uses descrimination to pass laws. Descrimination was all but irradicated, however most of his upcoming policies take us back to the dark ages, using descrimination to form public policy is something politicians back in the 1800's used to do.... apparently we have an old dinosaur with no new tricks in Mr Key... just elitest nonsense. 66 percent of the country did not vote for you Mr Key... a moral mandate requires that you get 50 percent or more support from the total voting poll. Not 48 percent of the vote from the 66% of voters who turned out to vote. You are Prime Minister.... but by technicality only.... you failed to motivate the people enough to achieve a moral mandate... instead you goven by technical mandate alone. What a joke you are Prime Minister, what an out of date old elitest dinosaur you are. Even you fake smile and wave routine couldnt motivate enough people into the voting booths for you to achieve any sort of moral mandate for the changes you propose. And yet you will make them with the backing of only 33 percent of the country... thats pathetically lame. I dont recall a time in previous years where we had a Prime Minister who failed so badly to garner enough support to govern. This election really was a loss for you Mr Key, you ended up as Prime Minister by chance.... not because people supported your policies. Infact it is clear that at a time when your voters were turning out in force because of their fear that you may lose, that Paula Bennett even amoungst your own voters is losing support faster than any of your other ministers. your majorities increased... Paula Bennetts was one of the only ones to markedly decrease. This National government is nothing but a joke

21 Dec 2011 05:52a.m.

Brent wrote:

This is a good thing the teachers council has done by releasing the details after 2 years, Now if they could label the other 150 teachers with convictions and sack them it would be great.

20 Dec 2011 05:22p.m.

pondering wrote:

John Key is well aware of far more serious ongoing fiasco the Ministry of education is involved in. This includes the complicity it has with chronic truancy in Counties Manukau by refusing services to low decile students and kids with disabilities. Heavy discrimination on socio and racial / ethnic grounds. Massive cuts to funding in low decile South Auks schools. Regular violence to primary school aged students by teachers....