Urgent Debates Declined — Schools, Canterbury—Judicial Decision on Proposed Merger

I have received a letter from Chris Hipkins seeking to debate the recent decision of the High Court to overturn the decision by the Minister of Education to merge Phillipstown School and Woolston School on to the Woolston site. For there to be an urgent debate, there must be an administrative or ministerial responsibility for the case of recent occurrence. The member in his application cites the judgment of the High Court issued on 9 October as the particular case of recent occurrence. A Minister has no responsibility for the court decision itself. An urgent debate is a way of holding the Government accountable for an action for which it is responsible. There must be distinct governmental responsibility for the particular case that is sought to debated. A decision of the High Court is not a matter for which any Minister has responsibility. The application is therefore declined.