Soper Lesley: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Soper Lesley: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:637;Page:7956] 
3.  
LESLEY SOPER (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: What reports has he received regarding the implementation of the 20 hours’ free early childhood education policy? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Minister of Education) 
: 
 This week marks the beginning of an information campaign with television ads and the launch of an information line for parents. There have already been more than 500 calls from parents keen to get more information about this very popular policy. At the same time the Ministry of Education has been running face-to-face workshops with early childhood education providers in order to work with them on how the scheme applies to them specifically. The reaction has been extremely positive. Feedback from the workshops found that 90 percent of attendees clearly understood the policy and felt confident about how they would apply it to themselves. 
Lesley Soper 
: What other reports has the Minister seen regarding the policy of 20 hours’ free early childhood education? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I have seen a range of reports. One stated: “The 20-hour entitlement will be welcomed by all families”. Another report stated an intention to scrap the scheme and another suggested a replacement with a tax credit. Other reports championed the scheme arguing for higher funding rates and an extension to all under-5-year-olds and another argued there should be no campaign to inform parents. Amazingly all of those contradictory statements come from members of one party—the National Party—which shows that they understand nothing about this policy. But I predict that they will fully support it by the next election. 
Paula Bennett 
: Will the Minister avoid all smarmy words such as “may be eligible” or “could potentially access 20 free hours” and tell New Zealand parents right now how many children will actually receive 20 free hours of early childhood education come 1 July; if not why did he and the Prime Minister promise it to all parents before the election? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: As I have told that member numerous times the policy clearly talks about 92000 young people being eligible for this policy on 1 July. What members would like to know from that member is how she intends to pay for her promise made in the House last night to extend the scheme—despite not liking it—to every single child under 5 years of age. That policy would cost over $1 billion for a tax-cutting party. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Why on earth is the Minister not paying greater regard to the views of the last questioner given that when the leader of the National Party made a speech about the “underclass” he put that underclass in the charge of Paula Bennett; and more particularly what on earth did that group do to deserve her? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That last comment was not necessary. 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I think the essence of the question concerned what people had done to deserve the National Party’s policies. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: No. I did indicate that that part of the question was out of order. The Minister is not to address that part. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. The first part of the question was whether the Minister thought it was in order to pay more attention to the question. So does that mean that Mr Peters would like Ms Bennett to repeat the question so that the Minister can give us an answer? 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: As usual  
Hansard 
 will record that I did not say that at all. Gerry never gets it right. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That is not a point of order either. The Minister was asked to comment on something that was within his ministerial responsibility but not to comment on the member personally. Would the Minister please address that part of the question. 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: Just so I stay within the Standing Orders I say that my interpretation of the question was what people had done to deserve National Party policies. I have to say that if those policies are the answer then people are asking the wrong question. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: No. That is out of order.