Willis NicolaNICOLA WILLIS (National): Thank you Madam Chair. This is the first time I've risen to speak in this House since the country has been in lockdown and I do want to take this moment to acknowledge not only the educators that Nikki Kaye acknowledged but also the parents who have found themselves acting as educators these past few weeks. I know for one it's not an easy job particularly juggling work and doing that job of educating. I found myself the other day saying Oh well it would be OK if these four kids were the same age and at the same level." and then stopped myself as I realised that every teacher in this country has at least 20 children in their classroom of varying ability and various stages who bring different things to the classroom and I take my hat off to them. I also want to acknowledge the students around the country who have had their lives significantly disrupted and who are learning things at home but in a very different way. Coming to this annual review of course this annual review took place in a context and environment that has now changed significantly. When we put together our report COVID-19 was being seen as a global health challenge and we did ask questions about the preparedness of schools but in the early childhood sector in particular I have a sense that the issues that were once absolutely top of the pile will now be joined by other significant issues. We have been focused in recent times in New Zealand on the issue of teacher shortages in early childhood education the pressing issues of teacher pay and the issues of viability of some centres. But today we face much more immediate challenges and I have two series of questions for the Minister if he'll just be patient with me. The first is around the advice that is available to early childhood services preparing for alert level 2 whenever that may occur. I know that many of them are very appreciative of the detailed advice the Ministry of Education has provided in the engagement but there is still this outstanding question of why can't early childhood services access directly Ministry of Health officials and their advice upon which the guidelines the Ministry of Education are making are based. I think that providing that transparency providing that access would do a lot to lift early childhood confidence both for teachers and owners but also for parents who could be reassured that decisions around how early childhood centres will operate under level 2 are based on the very best and most current health advice. So that's my first question to the Minister. My second question is around this issue of viability. I asked an oral question about this in Parliament last week and the Minister quite rightly pointed out that the Government has made a decision to continue at full rates the subsidy for early childhood centres regardless of the attendance they have from students for the next couple of months. But my question goes deeper than that and I would invite the Minister to comment on it today if he can because of the significant financial implications it has because we know that in an environment where fewer parents have jobs even in a best-case scenario and where many parents have reduced hours or reduced incomes we can expect that there could be a reduction in early childhood attendance. So my question has two parts: firstly what thinking is the Government doing about how that could affect our participation goals—particularly for lower socio-economic groups and those most disadvantaged and least likely to attend early childhood education—but secondly has there been thinking or is there thinking developing about what that might mean for the viability of early childhood services in those communities who may find themselves vulnerable with parents losing their jobs not sending their kids and the centre no longer able to pay the bills having to let teachers go and potentially having to close its doors? So those are two issues I find myself focused on at the moment as I discuss COVID-19 and its implications with early childhood educators. I fully acknowledge there are many more issues in the sector but if the Minister could address those two issues I would appreciate it."