English Bill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
English Bill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:627;Page:21959] 
5.  
Hon BILL ENGLISH (National—Clutha-Southland) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: Does he stand by his statements on the  
Agenda 
 programme with regard to ending the funding of singalong courses: “Yes … they went I think in 2003 and 2004” and “Well I’d been briefed it’s off.”; if so why? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Minister of Education) 
: 
 No. I was advised when following this issue up yesterday that there will be no further enrolments in these courses other than those being processed this week. 
Hon Bill English 
: Why does this Minister insist on saying things to the public that are not true simply because they sound good in the interview and when will he tell the public that by the end of this year radio singalong courses will have clocked up $9 million of public funding under his charge? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: At the time that that member pleads guilty to being part of the Cabinet that put this system in place. 
Hon Brian Donnelly 
: Can the Minister therefore reconfirm that the so-called singalong courses grew out of the “bums on seats” system established by the previous National administration and that if there is any criticism of this Government it is that it did not move more quickly to eradicate such low-value programmes? 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. Questions should be heard in silence. One does not mind a little bit of chatter but I could not hear my colleague’s very sound question because of disclaimers coming from my right that I know are not true or correct. Could I hear the member ask the question again please? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I thank the member. Yes there was too much chatter that was bordering upon interjections. Perhaps the member would like to repeat his question quickly so it can be answered with equal speed. 
Hon Brian Donnelly 
: I thank you Madam Speaker and the Rt Hon Winston Peters. Can the Minister reconfirm that the so-called singalong courses grew out of the “bums on seats” system established by the previous National administration and that if there is any criticism of this Government it is that it did not move more quickly to eradicate such low-value programmes? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I think the first part of the member’s question is absolutely accurate and the second part is quite fair. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: Does he accept that Twilight Golf and ordinary golf courses fully funded to tertiary level—at university level—is in the same category as singalong courses; if so will he concede that in the 2004-05 financial year Te Wananga o Aotearoa received millions of taxpayers’ dollars to run courses in golf? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I do not have all those figures with me but I would not be at all surprised at that. 
Lynne Pillay 
: Has he seen a proposal to immediately abolish all community education courses run by tertiary institutions? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Yes I have. It would of course mean the end of all the brilliant—[ 
Interruption 
] I am sorry? 
John Key 
: I said: “You’re a lightweight.” 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Oh yes! No one has ever said that before. That was the productivity man. The answer is that yes I have seen such a proposal. It would mean the end of the university extension work that has been going on in New Zealand for about 70 years. It would also mean that every polytech in the regions in New Zealand would close. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: With regard to this issue of the wananga which the National Party has made a huge song and dance about was it National in 1999 by itself that opened up the funding to the fiasco that it has become today—yes or no? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: The answer is certainly yes but whether the National members did it in anticipation of playing twilight golf through the latter part of 2005 when they have nothing else to do I am not sure. 
Hon Bill English 
: Has the Minister seen a briefing from the Tertiary Education Commission addressed to him dated April 2004 which sets out the details of a review of radio singalong courses to be completed within weeks and why is it that he has taken until now to take any action on a course that he knows and everyone else knows has been a waste of $9 million of public money; can he explain that? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I went after $160 million a year and got it. 
Hon Bill English 
: Has the Minister seen the Eastern Institute of Technology website dated 26 July 2005 which shows that the institute is as of lunchtime still taking enrolments for a course in radio singalong that starts on 1 August and goes through to 23 September and which by the end of this year will have clocked up $9 million of taxpayers’ money and why should this House believe anything he says when no matter what he says radio singalong keeps singing along? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: The first point is that the funding for that area is capped and in fact it is capped at half the level that it was at. The second point is that I have received an assurance from the chief executive of the Eastern Institute of Technology that there will be no further enrolments in that course after Friday. 
Hon Bill English 
: I seek leave to table a copy of the Eastern Institute of Technology website showing that enrolments are still current in radio singalong. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is. 
Hon Bill English 
: I seek leave to table a report of the Tertiary Education Commission to the Minister in charge of tertiary education dated 13 April 2004 setting out the details of a review of radio singalong courses on which no action was taken. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is. 
Hon Bill English 
: I seek leave to table a set of information taken from a series of parliamentary questions that show that by the end of this year radio singalong will have cost $9.05 million of public money. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection. There is.