Goodhew Jo: Education Amendment Bill (No 4) — First Reading 
Goodhew Jo: Education Amendment Bill (No 4) — First Reading 
[Volume:671;Page:17948] 
JO GOODHEW (National—Rangitata) 
: 
 The Education Amendment Bill (No 4) gives this Government a very important opportunity to continue to work towards a more accountable higher-performing tertiary education sector. That is consistent with what this Government is hoping to achieve right across the State sector. 
We are absolutely focused on getting better value for every dollar—not our dollars but the dollars of every taxpayer in New Zealand—and we take that very seriously unlike the previous Government which squandered that money as if it was coming off a tree or being printed by somebody not coming out of the real live pockets of New Zealand taxpayers. We will get better value for every dollar spent. 
It is time to put a little bit of truth and a little bit of perspective into the argument and to talk about some of the stuff that is already happening in the tertiary education sector. To set the scene I tell the House that we will be funding almost 3000 extra university places over the next 2 years with a stunning total of 119000 university places in 2011. That is an absolutely stunning total; it has never been as high as that before. We are also funding 16500 more places in tertiary education than were funded in 2008 under the previous Government. 
Members opposite are quiet now; I wonder why. It is because they cannot refute this argument—these are the facts rather than the rhetoric. It is time for the facts. I hear some agreement coming from Opposition parties about our plans for international education. That sector is worth close to $2 billion to this country so it is important that this bill deals with it. 
I will spend a very short time talking about the reasons for some of the provisions in this bill. On the tertiary education side of things we are looking at the Minister being able to issue directions on student services fees. Why would that be? Well it is because there has been a creeping unease amongst students and amongst those of us watching when we have seen the average levy increase by 102 percent between 2009 and 2010 across all universities. That is an increase in the average levy from $194 to $392 but it is an increase by stealth. 
The increase is not really for what the institutions say it is for so the Minister has decided to rein that in to make sure we know what those fees are for. Under the bill the Minister will be able to require that fees are for a specified reason and held in a separate audited account and that the categories for student services be made available. This bill is about transparency which is something this Government really values. 
When we look at the regulatory impact statement on the changes to student services levies we can see why we have to introduce those measures. Currently the Government has no power to control the amounts that tertiary education providers may charge as compulsory student services fees. There is a risk without such controls that there will be very little incentive for providers to prioritise the services they deliver and to deliver them really efficiently. 
I can tell members that State sector employees are getting a very clear message from this Government that when they spend taxpayers’ money they need to do it efficiently. They need to get absolute value for money. This bill is a continuation of that requirement and most certainly the message is getting out there. 
Do members know what? My constituents say that they like that. They like the fact that this Government demands value for money at every turn. It demands value for money. They understand when this Government says that something is nice to have but is not necessary. This bill will be a good bill. I will enjoy hearing from submitters in the Education and Science Committee and I commend the bill to the House.