8. Question No. 8—EducationHon NIKKI KAYE (National—Auckland Central) to the Minister of EducationQuestion No. 8—Education8. Hon NIKKI KAYE (National—Auckland Central) to the Minister of Education: Does he stand by his statement What I understand the PPTA have asked for is the individual costing of each element of the offer" and has that information been provided to the PPTA?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education): Yes and yes.Hon Nikki Kaye: Is it an uncanny coincidence that this information despite months of requests was finally provided to the Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA) within an hour of my primary question being lodged?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: No.Hon Nikki Kaye: If I lodge a primary question regarding the individual costing of each element of the primary teachers' offer will this information be provided to NZEI within an hour as well?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: If they had asked for it they would be given it.Hon Nikki Kaye: Will he admit that his statement reiterated by the Prime Minister that the current offer amounts to more than all of the settlements they reached under the previous National Government is absolutely false with regard to secondary teachers?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I believe that at the time I was speaking about the primary school teachers.Hon Nikki Kaye: In light of the fact that he made up the offer with regard to secondary teachers and he was absolutely wrong—SPEAKER: Order! Just ask a straight question.Hon Nikki Kaye: In light of the fact that the Government has committed billions of dollars on tertiary students has billions more cash in surplus and has provided a lot more to other areas of the public sector will he talk to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance about providing a new offer for secondary teachers?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: As I have been very clear in all of the public comments I've made on this the Government is absolutely committed to bargaining in good faith with both of the teaching unions on the claims that they have on the table. Many of those claims don't relate to salary; they relate to other things which they—Hon Nikki Kaye: You lied on the secondary teachers' offer—SPEAKER: Order!Hon Nikki Kaye: I withdraw and apologise.Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Many of the issues that have been raised by the unions relate to matters other than salary including for example extra support for children with special needs. All of these things come at a cost and part of the negotiations is ensuring that we get the balance right in addressing all of the issues that are being raised and not just cherry-picking them.SPEAKER: And I want to reinforce to members of the House who didn't hear what happened then that the Hon Nikki Kaye made a very serious allegation about me.Hon Nikki Kaye: I withdraw and apologise.SPEAKER: No no—you already have. There seemed to be doubt around the House as to why the member stood up.Hon Nikki Kaye: Point of order.SPEAKER: No no. Just ask the next question. We've had enough.Hon Nikki Kaye: I've done that. I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Minister didn't answer my question. I asked whether he's going to talk to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance about a different offer.SPEAKER: He certainly did answer it."