The current idiots running our country consider contracts with the crown fungible. At the stroke of a pen. They are not: they are legal obligations. Those on the other end of the contract know that, but Chris Hipkins (our new communist Labour minister of education) knows better.

The education unions hate charter schools. They want a state monopoly. They do not want accountability. And he will  deliver. Nikki Kaye, who is from the biggest party in parliament, writes in facebook.

Reports today that Chris Hipkins has cancelled four new partnership schools with signed contracts with the Crown due to start in 2019 will be hugely disappointing for the promoters of the schools and families planning to send their children there. (Back in May of this year he said there would be a case by case negotiation).

As I understand it the Minister hasn’t even met with the sponsors and several of the sponsors found out their contracts would be cancelled via the media< The four schools included an Auckland school focused on Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths and a new Vanguard school in Christchurch. "These sponsors have spent time and money securing contracts with the Crown and preparing to open these schools. They deserve better than this. Regardless of the Minister’s ideological opposition to partnership schools they deserve a fair process and good communication with the Minister and the Ministry. The public also deserves to know any costs to the crown of cancelling these contracts. It’s hard to believe the new government is so blinkered that it won’t allow people to set up new schools to improve achievement for New Zealand’s children. The recent Martin Jenkins report shows that many of the partnership schools are performing well and supporting disadvantaged children. That’s why National supports them. With regard to the rest of the schools (the current 10 that are open and the two due to open next year) there needs to be transparency about the process that the new Government will be going through about their future. The Government has sent mixed messages regarding partnership schools. It is not clear if any of these schools will remain and if they do remain what the nature of their funding and governance arrangements will be. The Government needs to be upfront about their future or at the very least the process to determine their future.

I have supported charter schools because they work for the poor. The rich will ensure that their children get every advantage. Labour disagrees. But they forget that their is a contractural obligation of any government to honour its word and fulfil its contracts.

The government requires that we pay our taxes and obey their laws. They need to be consistent in their governance. If this bunch of fools destroy this, they will lose legitimacy, and the fate of tyrants is well known.