Parata focus of Novopay action

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Parata focus of Novopay action

3News NZ

Legal action has seen renewed calls for Education Minister Hekia Parata to be sacked (Getty)

Legal action has seen renewed calls for Education Minister Hekia Parata to be sacked (Getty)

The taxpayer looks set to face more cost over the Novopay bungle, with the Post Primary Teachers' Association (PPTA) taking legal action to get financial compensation for those affected.

It's seen renewed calls for Education Minister Hekia Parata to be sacked. And that's a feeling shared by a majority of voters in the latest 3 News-Reid Research poll, who agree she must go.

Ms Parata was greeted by a chorus of booing from a crowd of thousands this weekend. But the boos aren't even from teachers. It’s the weekend's Matatini kapa haka competition, Maoridom's biggest public event. It's symbolic of a prevailing public attitude that Ms Parata is "beyond redemption".

But the Education Minister isn't going anywhere.

“I'm very excited about it and I come to work every day excited about it,” she says.

And today came yet more "excitement" – legal action from the secondary teacher's union over the Novopay debacle. It wants teachers to get financial compensation for the hurt, humiliation and financial suffering it has caused.

“Somebody needs to be held accountable and somebody needs to provide compensation to our members,” says PPTA president Angela Roberts.

That "somebody" would likely be you, the taxpayer, because Government ministers signed off on Novopay, including Ms Parata.

“She is an incompetent Minister of Education,” says Greens co-leader Metiria Turei. “John Key should never have reappointed her, and she must go.”

A 3 News poll asked 1000 voters if Mr Key should have sacked Ms Parata as Education Minister, and 59 percent said yes, she should have gone. Just 25 percent agreed that she should have stayed.

“I think the public has lost confidence in Hekia Parata,” says Labour Education spokesman Chris Hipkins. “I think John Key is the only person who has confidence in her really.”

There's been the class size reversal, the chief executive's departure, Christchurch school closures and more. But when it comes to keeping the job, only one opinion matters, and Mr Key says she stays.

“She's passionate about the issues that matter in education,” says Mr Key. “Let’s judge her when she's had a bit more time in the job.”

So Novopay is about to hit the courts. It can't be dismissed as a stunt. The PPTA has 18,000 members and a huge financial war chest. It can afford the legal bills.

As if things couldn't get any worse for Ms Parata, the Government looks like it will now be locked in a protracted legal battle with teachers.

3 News

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Comments

4/03/2013 8:36:51 p.m.

martin wrote:

the stuff ups by this gov't are costing taxpayes millions weekly,any wonder Key is borrowing $300 million a week . this gov't is a sick joke . now teachers are leaving and this is a serious worry. national must leave or we will fall deeper into recession with all the financial woes everywhere national go.

1/03/2013 2:19:34 p.m.

Wiki wrote:

The legal action being taken by PPTA is not to further their own pockets, as you have stated Seveo, but to help those people who have genuinely used up their savings to live on because they are not being paid correctly or in some instances NOT AT ALL. Perhaps you should try not being paid (for say 3 months or more) and see how long your landlord, bank manager, insurance company or any other organisation that you pay on a fortnightly/monthly basis will put up with it. NOT LONG was the answer I got!!!

28/02/2013 5:43:06 p.m.

Steveo wrote:

Well the hundreds of millions of dollars that the PPTA make in union fees has to go towards something right? I mean they negotiate a handful of contracts every few years but what else do they do? Other than ask for more money? The government should use the millions of dollars which they save from not using Datacom to pay teachers the additional wages earned. The PPTA are just trying to further line their already full pockets.

28/02/2013 8:59:53 a.m.

Wiki wrote:

A dean of incompetent people that have been given a Ministerial position that they can't produce results. Goodness, if it was anyone else they would have been sacked by now. Parata talks about ensuring that 5 out of 5 children achieve in the eduation system, yet she herself has failed on this task, as well as Joyce, Voss and Key.

27/02/2013 4:37:58 p.m.

Matt wrote:

This whole government seems like a den of liars.

27/02/2013 3:10:30 p.m.

Sarah wrote:

Parata did not inherit anything from Labour, Steve Joyce clearly admitted last month that it was three senior National ministers that signed off on Novopay when they knew the system had issues. National party needs to start keeping the promises that they made when they were elected, but nothing they promised has come to fruition.

27/02/2013 9:53:21 a.m.

Wiki wrote:

How much longer can teachers keep the faith with Parata? Not much perhaps when the next pay cycle again is incorrect and Talent2 finally admits that it can't delivery it promoised system, then we might get somewhere. People are suffering financially, in particular incurring penalities with banks (for non payment of mortgage), IRD for not receiving P.A.Y.E payments, and the list goes on.

Stop with the TALK FEST, and develiver a system that WORKS.

27/02/2013 9:45:13 a.m.

Richard wrote:

No point in sacking Parata. She inherited this white elephant from Labour. What needs to happen is a proper IT review. Making her responsible for a technical scewup makes little sense.

27/02/2013 9:01:33 a.m.

iain wrote:

With her constant talk of caring for our children's education I can't recall any actions aimed at supporting those comments... anybody else?

27/02/2013 5:36:00 a.m.

katubaldy wrote:

People didn't need an opinion poll to know the Hammer is the worst Education Minister we've had in recent history. They've been saying it for a year. Alienating the workforce under her control, introducing and later retracting flawed policies and totally mismanaging one of the most important portfolios in cabinet, concerning the country's future success. Whatever National's cynical agenda is, Joe Key supports it 100% and is prepared to waste taxpayer's money over it defending a hopeless bunch of Aussie conmen in court. Its astounding arrogance but par for the course with this witless govt. Selling more tickets for the stupid train to Brainless Bay....(pity is)...the NZ taxbase is covering the cost of the ride.