Hekia Parata--'Should I go or should I stay?'

Dearest Hekia,

‘Do you stay or do you leave?’

Well luvvy---that’s a curly one.  Who AM I to tell you, eh? I mean, there’s been some real stuffups and those bloody teachers have been one step ahead of you all year. Then you went and got that Pommy lady—yeah the one who knew how to fix up New Zealand’s education fiasco. Damn it mate, she didn’t last long. What did she do eh? Did she piss you off big time? Maybe she saw through all the Government’s BS eh. Maybe she found out that NZ ain’t like the UK eh. Maybe people care more here about their schools and they don’t like being bullied by someone who doesn’t listen.

Yeah, I guess I feel I bit sorry for you all the same. You got handed the poisoned chalice, didn’t you. Key saw you coming and handed you the portfolio from hell. You should have looked at the history of various Ministers of Education over time and you would have seen the train charging at you along a one-way track.

Did you think that you would make your mark and then be rewarded with a ‘nice’ posting? The trouble with that is that people don’t forget so easily and the snake-pit you have inhabited for the last year or so has very slippery sides.

I’m going to say it again. Yes, I feel sorry for the way you have been used by Key and Co. If you have really learnt from this experience, I believe that you could make a good Minister: of what I’m not so sure. Whatever it is, how about being a little more humble and listen to a wider range of ‘advisors.’ Therein lays the reason for your imminent downfall.

I wish you a Merry Xmas and I hope you come back to the ‘Beehive’ with less sting in your tail.