Labour is calling for a full investigation into how former Education Minister Anne Tolley handled questions about a principal who was stood down for serious misconduct and later appointed as an "expert'' adviser for the ministry.
Deborah Anne Mutu was put on leave as principal at Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Kaikohe in 2007 after her husband John Hone Mutu, a teacher at the school, was suspended by the board of trustees.
Mr Mutu was suspended after an incident in 2004, when he visited a 15-year-old student at home, knowing she would be alone, and was found lying on a mattress with the girl, under a blanket.
Following the incident, Mrs Mutu ordered staff to tear up the written complaint of the girl and failed to launch an investigation into the allegations.
The couple were deregistered for serious misconduct and were each ordered to pay $20,000 in costs following a Teachers Council disciplinary tribunal hearing in October this year.
Despite the investigation into Mrs Mutu's conduct, she was hired by the Ministry of Education in February as one of 46 student achievement practitioners - "experts'' paid to advise principals.
Labour's Sue Moroney raised Ms Mutu's employment as an adviser in Parliament on October 6, and Mrs Tolley responded by saying Mrs Mutu had never been suspended.
In a statement today, the ministry said Mrs Mutu had not disclosed the full extent of the charge against her before October 10, and the ministry acted as soon as it became aware of the seriousness of the proceedings.
Mrs Tolley said the answer she gave to Parliament was in line with the advice she had at the time.
When asked whether she should have corrected her answer or issued a statement with the new information, Mrs Tolley said no - "because it was a question that was answered in the House on the last day of the sitting''.
Prime Minister John Key said he had not had a good review of the situation and would "have a look'' at it.
However, Ms Moroney said the Prime Minister's approach did not reflect the seriousness of the situation and a robust inquiry was needed.
"Because of the mistakes that have been made, there needs to be a much more proper process around discovering what the ministry knew, what the ministry told the minister and therefore what she knew, and the disclosure of all of that information ... so we can be sure the minister, who is now the Police Minister, didn't make an error of judgement,'' she said.
Ms Moroney said Mrs Tolley had attacked Labour and the media in a press release, saying they had broadcasted false information about the issue.
"When she did discover that we were in fact correct, she could have used the same method to correct the information,'' Ms Moroney said.
While there was no obligation for a minister to correct information in Parliament if they subsequently found out what they had said was wrong, Ms Moroney said there was an ethical obligation to be honest with the public.
"Given the veracity of the minister's denial of the issue, there does need to be now a setting straight of the record from the Government's perspective.''
