Macindoe Tim; Borrows ChesterHon TIM MACINDOE (Associate Minister of Education): It is unfortunate to be starting literally a minute before the dinner adjournment but let me just say particularly for the benefit of the member Catherine Delahunty that our education sector is in very good shape and I am incredibly proud of the fact that we have just delivered the biggest investment in our children's education in history. While my very good friend the Hon Hekia Parata is in the Chamber may I pay tribute to the great job she did.Sitting suspended from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Chester Borrows): Kia ora mai tātou. Tēnā tātou katoa. Members when we broke for the dinner break the Committee was debating the votes in the education sector in the Estimates debate. The Hon Tim Macindoe had the floor and he has 4 minutes and 37 seconds remaining if he wishes so.Hon TIM MACINDOE (Associate Minister of Education): Mr Chairman—Hon Ruth Dyson: He doesn't have to though.Hon TIM MACINDOE: He most certainly does wish so and I am delighted to know that the Opposition members are as thrilled with this opportunity as I am. Just before the dinner adjournment I was acknowledging the Hon Hekia Parata and the fine state in which she has left New Zealand's education system and I also made the point in reply to a former—Hon Ruth Dyson: Come to Christchurch Tim.Hon TIM MACINDOE: I have been to Christchurch several times I can say to Ms Dyson. I always enjoy my visits there and I am thrilled to see the way that education is flourishing in that fine city as well. I made the point that one of the reasons why it is flourishing so much is that the recent Budget has delivered the largest ever investment in the education of our children that we have seen in New Zealand's history. Just in order to put a couple of figures on the record the 2017 Budget has put an injection of an additional $1.1 billion of new operating funding over the next 4 years into education and that takes our total funding for the education system in 2017-18 to $11.6 billion. As I say that is a record investment—$11.6 billion is going into education.In the 2¾ months that I have had the great privilege of being an Associate Minister of Education the thing that has focused my mind in particular in the education portfolio has been my responsibility for infrastructure and school property. What a privilege it has been to be going around the country particularly to areas of high population growth and be able to respond to the demands that exist in those areas for what we are calling roll growth classrooms. I have been to Northland to Nelson to Christchurch—and I know Ms Dyson was particularly thrilled that I came to Christchurch—to Otago to Auckland—Hon Ruth Dyson: Didn't notice to be honest.Hon TIM MACINDOE: Ha! The wonderful thing which I know Ms Dyson will be particularly delighted to hear is that there is more to come.In the nearly 9 years that the current Government has been in office this Government—Hon Ruth Dyson: 9 long years.Hon TIM MACINDOE: —9 spectacularly wonderful years as I know Ms Dyson appreciates—has invested over $5 billion in school infrastructure. That is a very significant investment but in this year's Budget it has been foreshadowed that over the next 4 years there will be another $4.85 billion. That of course reflects the greater choices that a Government has after sound management of the economy getting us back into surplus so that we can start to ensure that New Zealanders enjoy the benefits of their very hard work and their restraint through the global financial crisis that they have had over the last few years.One of the problems that we inherited as a Government was that the average age of school property when we came into office was 40 years. I dare say we all have knowledge of schools and classrooms around the country that are in many cases pre-war—[Interruption]—or in Mr Muller's case things that he might remember from the 1980s or whatever. In many cases they are no longer fit for purpose. They certainly are not consistent with the very significant shift in education that has taken place over the last 10 or 15 years in particular as we have gone on to a much more digitally focused and student-centred style of learning. Mr Chair I am conscious of the fact that there is no timer on at the moment so I might just need to see whether you can help me with that because there is no way of ensuring—Hon Member: 5 more minutes!Hon TIM MACINDOE: Ha ha! But what this means is that as a result of Budget 2017 we will have 305 new and replacement classrooms around the country. What is also very exciting and what I am particularly thrilled about is that the Ministry of Education now has a much longer-term focus in the way it works out meeting the needs—particularly the infrastructural needs—of schools so that it is now looking up to 30 years ahead to identify where as a ministry they might need land. It is working with local authorities right around the country and infrastructure providers to carry out planning for high-growth areas. As a result of that the Budget also includes $8 million for the ministry's strategic planning capabilities because clearly there are a number of very talented people working in the ministry to ensure that that work can be done.