Rich Katherine: General Debate 
Rich Katherine: General Debate 
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KATHERINE RICH (National) 
: 
 I just love listening to that member. No other member in the House has added more to parliamentary discussion than Parekura Horomia—to the terrain of nonsense to the matrix of dysfunction. I am hesitant to ask what “tight loose” and “maxing out” means but I am sure the member will have an explanation. 
Bill English was right. The Government side of the House has given up because that speech was already in the past tense. That eulogy delivered by Parekura Horomia discussing Michael Cullen’s legacy and what he will be remembered for is just another example of how that Government is already thinking about itself in the past tense. It is already packing its bags and imagining what it will be like in Opposition. It was the same in the select committee today. Steve Maharey thought he was in the Opposition. He started asking National members questions and was disturbed when we refused to answer him. We reminded him that his role as the Minister was to give us on that committee answers to our questions. 
The 20 free hours policy is an example of how to spend $178 million and please nobody. I repeat: it is an example of how to spend $178 million and please nobody. Even those who are opting into the scheme are doing so reluctantly and pointing out all the problems with that policy. One of the things the Minister has refused to tell us even though this policy is going live in only 7 working days is how many centres have opted in. He likes to pretend that he does not know. Well we know that those forms are sitting over in the Ministry of Education in a bit of a pile and all the Minister has to do is have some officials count them and personally tell him how many centres are opting in and how many are not opting in. The Minister cannot tell us how many centres are opting in. He cannot tell us how many of the up to 92000 children will actually get this service after 1 July. 
But what he has confirmed to us today is that although some Kiwi parents will be angry to find out that the scheme is not being offered in their local communities some non-residents non-citizens and in some cases long-term holidaymakers and overstayers here in New Zealand will be eligible potentially to get 20 free hours’ early childhood education for their children. That will be salt to the wounds of parents who find they cannot get access to the scheme for their kids because they live in the wrong place—a place that has no centre offering the service. 
One of the things the Minister fudges of course is this whole issue of optional charges. He pretends that some families will have a say in what the optional charge will be and that it will be for luxuries. Actually it will not. I have not spoken to one centre yet that is not looking at levying some kind of surcharge for a luxury. They are doing it to cover day-to-day costs such as books—like the centre that is considering putting in place a $100-a-week fee for access to reading materials. 
Jill Pettis 
: You’ve always had to pay. 
KATHERINE RICH 
: Jill Pettis might have come to Parliament to say to parents that she wants them to pay for books in early childhood education centres because they are a luxury but over on this side of the House we believe that those kids should have access to books and that that should be part of a quality service. And what does a “quality surcharge” mean? What does a “$7-a-day charge for musical appreciation” mean? Does it mean that someone’s child will not get access to the musical instruments or will the classical music just be turned off when that child goes near the stereo? It is just not going to work. Centres are saying they will have to cut their costs and their quality. In some cases they have asked staff to take a pay cut. 
Jill Pettis 
: What a load of rubbish! 
KATHERINE RICH 
: There she is over there—a so-called representative of the workers of New Zealand. As a result of her Government’s policy some early childcare workers are being asked to take a pay cut. Well that is nice is it not? It is representative of her party at the moment. 
Back in the 2005 election campaign members opposite promised that all 3 and 4-year-old children would get 20 free hours’ early childhood education. It was a lie. I do not know anybody who would think one had to make a payment for something that was free. Those members may have a definition of free being that a payment is made. Under this Government “free” means paying a fee. That is why those members are so dark about it. On this side of the House we know that Labour is deeply disturbed. Some Labour members are saying that this policy is a dog’s breakfast. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Before I call the next speaker I remind members that under Speakers’ ruling 57/3 interjections are out of order unless they are rare and reasonable. If someone wants to make a speech then they can take a call and do so.