King Colin: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
King Colin: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:652;Page:1228] 
5.  
COLIN KING (National—Kaikoura) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: What reports has she received about the response to the Government’s plan to fast track school building projects? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister of Education) 
: 
 I have received many glowing reports. Sector organisations have praised the plan. The School Trustees Association has welcomed the fast tracking of property. The New Zealand Principals Federation has stated: “the education sector is grateful to have received the lion’s share of the recovery package” and it believes that the package is a “great start” for the education sector. 
Colin King 
: Has the Minister seen any comment from school principals on the announcement yesterday? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: Yes I have. I have seen a comment from Denise Torrey the principal of Somerfield School who said that the package “certainly gives us a leg up that we didn’t have before which is pretty exciting”. Sandra Aitken the principal of Point Chevalier School has called the funding “a welcome contribution” and said that the money “means we can get things done and out of the way quicker so kids can just get on with learning”. 
Hon Chris Carter 
: Does the Minister agree with her colleague the Minister of Finance and Minister for Infrastructure who said on  
Morning Report 
 today: “If we could have announced more yesterday that was ready we would have”? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: The previous Government left a property division of the Ministry of Education that needed a huge effort to find projects that were ready to go. This is a disaster. This Government has had to reorganise a division that was in a disastrous state. The member should be ashamed of the state in which he left that division. 
Aaron Gilmore 
: Can the Minister explain how the school building projects have been fast-tracked? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: There are a number of ways in which these projects have been brought forward. In relation to the five new schools announced yesterday in Northland Auckland and the Bay of Plenty they have all had their opening dates brought forward by between 1 and 2 years so that construction can occur as soon as possible. In relation to the money for refurbishments and replacement buildings I am advised by the ministry that construction on these projects will be able to begin a minimum of 6 months earlier than they would normally have started because we are bringing these funding rounds forward. That is really important for our schools which are desperately in need of this money and it is really important to keep people in work in construction and related industries. 
Hon Chris Carter 
: Given the Minister’s answer to a previous question— 
Hon Simon Power 
: No start with a question. That’s not a question. 
Hon Chris Carter 
: Mr Speaker can I continue? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: It would be helpful if the honourable member were to actually ask a question. 
Hon Chris Carter 
: Can the Minister explain why no funding was announced to bring forward building projects at Taupo-nui-a-Tia College Epsom Girls Grammar School Glen Eden Intermediate School Green Bay Primary School and Papatoetoe High School which all have projects ready to go and which were all listed in Labour’s mini-Budget plan for the post-2008 election period? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: I am happy to provide that information to the member. If he puts it down in writing to me I will find out exactly where those projects are at.