Fenton Darien: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Fenton Darien: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:640;Page:10240] 
4.  
DARIEN FENTON (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: What recent reports has he received on the policy of 20 hours’ free early childhood education? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Minister of Education) 
: 
 I saw a report on Sunday from a person saying that the policy is “unworkable” and that they “wouldn’t offer the scheme” and “haven’t changed our policy from childcare tax deductions.” I have also seen a report today from the same person in today’s  
Dominion Post 
 denying that she would scrap 20 hours’ free early childhood education and stating that “childcare tax deductions are not what we are going to be fighting the election on.” In both cases this comes from National’s Paula Bennett. The shaking has begun and the flip-flop is about to take place. 
Darien Fenton 
: What other responses has the Minister seen to the policy of 20 hours’ free early childhood education? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: Linda Mitchell a researcher from the New Zealand Council for Educational Research calls the policy “a very important and visionary policy that acknowledges the real value of early childhood education for children and families”. The Wellington Region Free Kindergarten Association chair Anne Hare says: “This policy will be of huge benefit to New Zealand families.” Earlier this week a Taranaki parent who estimated saving $36 a week from 20 hours’ free education told the  
Daily News 
: “I think it’s a great thing we can put a bit of money aside.” Therefore it is no wonder that John Key in full aspirational mode has told us that he wants all young children in this country to have access to 20 hours’ free education. 
Katherine Rich 
: Why would any party want to sign up to a policy called “20 hours’ free” when it is not free and why is he spending precious parliamentary time boxing at shadows when he cannot answer even the simplest questions about his policy such as how many centres have opted in and how many kids will actually receive 20 free hours next week? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: The member wants to know why we might spend parliamentary time—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I cannot hear the response. We will have it in silence. 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: The member wants to know why we are spending parliamentary time on this. I say to her that it is because the country has become extremely interested in what the National— 
Katherine Rich 
: How many? You can’t answer. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Would the Minister please be seated. I ask the member who intervened to please leave the Chamber. I said that we would have the answer in silence because we could not hear it. Members have continued to intervene. The member who intervened will please leave the Chamber. 
Katherine Rich withdrew from the Chamber. 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: The member was asking why we would want to spend parliamentary time on this question. I think it is because the country has become extremely interested in what the National Party campaign against 20 hours’ free education means. We need to tell the country that at the moment it means we think a childcare tax credit. However that policy is now being refuted by the National Party spokesperson Paula Bennett and that kind of confusion is worth airing in the House so that the country knows what it might get if it dared to vote for a National Government. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. The difficulty you have Madam Speaker is that the member asked a perfectly proper question. The question did not ask what National’s policy was or anything like that. She asked how many children would get the service and how many centres have signed up. The interjection from my colleague whom you have tipped out was simply to try to get the Minister to answer that question. Now that you have kicked her out perhaps we could get an answer from the Minister to the member’s question. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: The Minister was addressing the question. Members know what the rules are. It was impossible to hear. The level of intervention through barracking had become impossible. I had asked for that particular answer to be heard in silence so that members could hear and in order that we could return to a regular exchange. The Minister did address the question. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I listened very carefully to the Minister. He gave a long answer as to what National’s policy was—for which he has absolutely no responsibility—and at no time in his answer did he address the question in relation to how many centres and how many children which is the question on the minds of every New Zealand family with preschool children. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I ask the Minister to repeat his answer and to address the question. 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: Speaking to the point of order Madam Speaker I point out that the convention in the House under the Standing Orders is that I have to reply to one out of many questions in a question. One of the member’s questions asked why we are focusing attention on this issue and that was the question I answered. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I also note that Katherine Rich has a question. She should be allowed to return to ask that question. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Has the Minister received any reports whatsoever from any source whatsoever explaining what the beleaguered mothers and fathers of preschool children in New Zealand or those whom John Key has described as the underclass have done to deserve of all people as their mouthpiece Paula Bennett? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: That is a difficult question for me to answer as the member would expect but my understanding is that the portfolio is allocated by John Key and I can only say he wanted people to have— 
Madam SPEAKER 
: There is no ministerial responsibility for that. It is not a sensible question.