11. Tertiary Education—Fees-free PolicyHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of EducationTertiary Education—Fees-free Policy11. Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of Education: How can he stand by his statement We will make sure they [tertiary providers] will get the information they need in a timely way" when five weeks before his free fees policy takes effect those providers still have no idea of the mechanism for how it works?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education): I reject the assertion in the last part of the member's question. Our commitment to introducing free post-school education and training is the biggest increase in student financial support in a generation. We are working hard with the providers to make sure that it is going to be delivered on time on 1 January.Hon Paul Goldsmith: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That was a question on notice and the opening statement was "when".Mr SPEAKER: If the member had tried listening he would have heard that the substantive part of the question was rejected—the assertion at the end was rejected—by the Minister.Hon Simon Bridges: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think the point that's being made here is that this is on notice; therefore you can have two parts to a question and they do need to be answered. The first part—the most important part—wasn't.Mr SPEAKER: No no. If the member looks at it really carefully it's: how can he stand by something given something else. If the "given something else" is rejected then the "how can he stand by" is clearly unreasonable.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. There's no "given" in this answer. There's no "given" at all. It's a statement by the Minister and then the question goes on to follow it.Mr SPEAKER: OK let's take it really slow: "how can he stand by something when something else" at the end of it. When the "when something else" is rejected clearly the first part doesn't have to be answered.Hon Simon Bridges: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: I'm not having this one again. I might have explanation skills and I'm happy to talk—[Interruption] No I'm happy to talk about it to members in my office later. I'm wording this really carefully given my history. I'm happy to talk about it to members later but not to go over it for a fourth time. Now Mr Goldsmith do you want another supplementary?Hon Paul Goldsmith: How can he be confident he has thought through all the potential consequences of the many detailed decisions he has to make about eligibility for free fees when he has allowed no time for any meaningful consultation with the sector and Parliament?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I reject the assertion in the last part of the question.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Does that mean that the Minister rejects the assertion that there are any detailed questions to be made about eligibility for the free fees?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I couldn't hear the question.Mr SPEAKER: Sorry there was a bit of on-and-off with the speakers. Could the member have another go and if he points his head a little bit more towards me he'll catch the speaker.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Does that mean he rejects the idea that there are many detailed decisions to be made about eligibility for free fees?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: No.Mr SPEAKER: Sorry just for clarity I'm going to ask the member to ask that question again and have the answer again because I think we've just had two inconsistent answers.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Is he thereby saying that he disagrees with the notion that there are many detailed decisions that have yet to be made about the eligibility for free fees?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: No. The question the member asked me before had two parts. One was about the detailed consideration and the second was about the consultation. I answered the second part of his question.Jan Tinetti: Has the Government's plan to bring in a year of fees-free tertiary education and training been well received?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Yes. Generally it's been very well received by prospective students and by trainees who are overjoyed with this. However I have heard concerns that people who currently feel locked out of post-school education and training because of the costs might be encouraged to take it up and they might gain some valuable education and skills that might improve their employment prospects. This Government is going to back them to do just that and I'm sure that one day the National Party will rediscover their aspiration.Hon Paul Goldsmith: How does he reconcile his statement to the House on Thursday 9 November that Australians will have to meet a three-year residence requirement to access free tertiary fees with his statement to the House the following week that he will not unilaterally change the trans-Tasman arrangements currently in place that treat Australians as domestic students for the purposes of fees from the time they arrive?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: In answer to the second part of the question: because I absolutely agree with that. I don't intend to unilaterally change the relationship.Hon Simon Bridges: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Minister said "In answer to the second part of the question"—it was properly understood as only one. It was: how does he reconcile his two statements? He needs to give a clear answer to that.Mr SPEAKER: I'll ask Mr Goldsmith to ask the question again and Mr Hipkins to have another go.Hon Paul Goldsmith: How does he reconcile his statement to the House on Thursday 9 November that Australians will have to meet a three-year residence requirement to access free tertiary fees with his statement to the House the following week that he will not unilaterally change the trans-Tasman arrangements currently in place that treat Australians as domestic students for the purposes of fees from the time they arrive?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Because in order to do the first you don't have to do the second."