Erica Stanford has the greatest opportunity for Education in Living memory.

Let me be 100% clear. To appoint David Seymour or Brooke van Velden to a role as important as the Minister of Education, in the current context, would be a disaster. Neither or them have the knowledge or charismatic ability to lead the sector through change that needs to have our parenting and schooling leading the world in six years.

Seymour was an architect of the Charter Schools model and – while good things were done through the expertise of Karen Poole, Nick Hyde and Raewyn Tipene – it was so poorly implemented that only 11 schools got going and were easy targets for Labour and the unions when they regained power.

Be in no doubt … out education system is in crisis and this is a sweep the table and start again moment. I would much rather Seymour has the symbolism of Deputy PM than the actual effect of Minister of Education.

I spoke to Michael Laws on this today.