Community hails Goff as hero | Rotorua News | Local News in Rotorua

Labour leader Phil Goff was treated like a king in Kawerau.

Many in the mill town made it clear they wanted no part of National Education Minister Anne Tolley during Mr Goff's visit yesterday. He was cheered and applauded even before he spoke.

For the past 12 months Kawerau Intermediate has locked horns with Mrs Tolley over its proposed closure - its biggest gripe is that she has not shown her face in the town or listened to the people since consultation began.

But a spokesperson for Mrs Tolley said she had begun the consultation process personally in Kawerau alongside school principals and board of trustees members.

She had also been to Kawerau privately since the proposal was made although not to meet supporters of the intermediate.

Tomorrow a "meet the candidates" event is scheduled in Whakatane, with Mrs Tolley, East-Coast Labour list MP Moana Mackey, Darryl Monteith from the Greens and United Future's Martin Gibson taking part. Mana Party's Annette Sykes has confirmed her attendance too.

It will be the first time youngsters and adults attached to the intermediate school have had the chance to see Mrs Tolley face-to-face, an opportunity for which they had waited a long time, said one mother, Winnie McClutchie.

Mrs McClutchie will be on one of the intermediate buses taking Kawerau residents into Whakatane.

"It will be a good thing for everyone, especially the kids, to tell Mrs Tolley how they feel," she said. "She doesn't know what's happening in this town, she hasn't made an effort to talk to us and find out - but for the first time we can tell her."

Mrs McClutchie was one of several parents from the intermediate who greeted Mr Goff.

Appearing relaxed and jovial, he high-fived many students and greeted Kawerau Intermediate principal Daryl Aim like an old friend once the entire school body came to a halt.

A sea of students walked from the school carrying placards and chanting "KIS is the best" and that they wanted Mrs Tolley "gone".

Mr Goff said the Government decision to close the intermediate had not been a democratic one and Mrs Tolley should have fronted up.

Rotorua MP Steve Chadwick said Labour had heard the voice of the supporters at a meeting at the school on Tuesday night. There, Ms Chadwick and Annette Sykes joined forces in support of the fight the parents vowed to continue.