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Andrew Dickens: Labour's dreams are turning into nightmares

Author
Andrew Dickens,
Publish Date
Tue, 9 Apr 2019, 12:28PM
Chris Hipkins. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Andrew Dickens: Labour's dreams are turning into nightmares

Author
Andrew Dickens,
Publish Date
Tue, 9 Apr 2019, 12:28PM

Over the events of March 15th, I have been very impressed with the concern shown around our mental wellbeing by so many parties. It shows a positive shift in our cultural outlook. Rather than just putting on a stiff upper lip, gritting our teeth, bottling it up and just soldiering on we have accepted that a lot of people can’t just tough it out.

So in that communal spirit, I’d just like to ask the Education Minister Chris Hipkins if he is alright. Does he need to take time out? Because I’ve been worried for a while about the amount of conflict he is in the middle of.

It was something I noted a while back and it was absolutely evident last night on Q and A where he was interviewed and it was spread over two segments.

I mean just look at what he’s trying to do. He was the first Minister to do anything getting the free tertiary policy off the ground. A policy that hasn’t seemed to have markedly changed a thing regarding enrolment and further education.

But not content with that he is also on a mission to reform 30 years of educational thinking and development with fundamental changes to the Tomorrow’s Schools framework. That’s a lifetime’s work right there.

But that’s not all for this Super Minister.  He’s also out to reform the entire Polytechnic and Industry Training Organisation structure at a time when our need for tradies is at an all-time high. Again this is a major project. One that could easily dominate all a Minister’s time.

Meanwhile, there are little fires that need to be put out like Victoria University’s fevered and misguided wast of public money pursuing a name change.

And if all that is not enough then there is the wage and condition standoff between the government and all the teachers in the country.  This is looking increasingly deadlocked and unsolvable and is building momentum until it will become the biggest industrial action of our age.

To their credit, the government has done as much as they feel they can and certainly it far exceeds anything that the previous regime would have offered. And to his credit, Chris Hipkins is standing firm, guided by his Finance Minister’s edict that this government is not going to blow the budget but the pressure must be immense.

Last night I kept wondering about Chris Hipkins days which must be a succession of massive meetings loaded with crises, big ideas, vested interests and enormous egos all plotting to stage a revolution in every sphere of our education system.

And with so many balls in the air, there is no way that anyone could be sure of not dropping one or two.

Chris Hipkins along with Phil Twyford are showing us what a decade in opposition does to a politician. It frustrates, and then you dream of what could be done better, and then, when, suddenly and surprisingly, given the opportunity to realise your dreams the 2 men have leapt in all guns blazing but with little aim. The latest dream for Mr Twyford to go sour is his precious light rail which this week was viciously savaged by Councillor Mike Lee who called it Kiwibuild with wobbly wheels.

Dreams are great but trying to make too many dreams come true all at once is a recipe for nightmares.

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