A couple of months after Hekia Parata was promoted to Education Minister (seemingly solely on her showing in Mana, certainly not on the strength of her performance as Acting Energy Minister), her sister has been promoted to a very senior position in the Ministry of Education created especially for her with no open selection process, below only the Nats’ UK import who now heads the ministry having previously championed the failed charter schools programme over there.
It seems a lot of the Parata clan are experiencing good fortune lately – her husband got a sweet gig ‘explaining’ asset sales to iwi, and several relatives got jobs in her ministerial office.
Political appointments to boards are one (undesirable) thing – at least they have a political function. Nepotism in public service roles is quite another.
Still, they say Parata has quite a record of personal grievances taken by staff – maybe her family are the only people who will work for her.
It's a real dog-whistle post, and true to form, the dogs come running at Zetetic's call. Sly and racist digs abound as The Standard's band of loyal followers line up to condemn Hekia Parata, referred to among other things as "This robotic-retoric-reciting plastic woman is a crook" and "A new generation of Plastic Tory Maori."
But then someone comes along and spoils the fun; have a read of this comment:
Brooklyn 19
This Story is a load of kak. Apryll Parata’s former position at the MoE, to which she was appointed during the Labour administration, reported directly to the secretary of Education. She’s been moved sideways to a position where she will not be offering advice to the minister. This is not the only inaccuracy in the Herald article.
Oddly enough, the discussion has rather dried up since Brooklyn set the record straight. It wasn't a great weekend for Zetetic, who also got well and truly fisked by Cactus Kate. Perhaps if (s)he dealt in facts, (s)he wouldn't be such an easy target. The Left must be desperate for supporters these days!
