Bennett Paula: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Bennett Paula: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:638;Page:8711] 
12.  
PAULA BENNETT (National) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: How many 3 and 4-year-olds will receive 20 hours’ free early childhood education on 1 July 2007? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Leader of the House) 
 on behalf of the 
 Minister of Education 
: From 1 July this year up to 92000 3 and 4-year-olds in teacher-led centres will be eligible for Labour’s 20 hours free policy. 
Paula Bennett 
: Can an early childhood provider who has opted in refuse to enrol a child because the parent refuses to pay an optional charge? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: Optional charges are not allowed under the policy; otherwise it stops being 20 free hours for that part of it of course. A charge is available for other provision outside the 20 hours. 
Hon Brian Donnelly 
: Would the Minister agree that a large proportion of the parents of the 16 percent of children who currently commence their formal education at decile 1 schools without any experience of formal early childhood education actually do watch wrestling programmes on TV that the decision to programme commercials during such shows is in fact inspired and that criticism of such programming demonstrates the disconnection of the National Party from the real world of a significant portion of New Zealand’s population? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: Indeed. I should perhaps clarify something that I indicated by way of interjection yesterday. I myself actually do not watch wrestling. However if people get Sky Box Office Preview they will notice that often wrestling is being advertised at that point and if they look at the audience they will notice there are a large number of women in the audience. 
Paula Bennett 
: Which is true: the Minister of Education’s answers to written questions that early childhood education services cannot refuse enrolment or access to free early childhood education for the reason that a parent refuses to pay an optional charge or his answer to the House yesterday: “… centres have always had the right to say who they will enrol.”—or is that just another slip of the tongue? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: No. If I could slightly correct the answer I just previously gave to the member I understand that the centres can charge for other activities—optional activities—within the 20 free hours. 
Paula Bennett 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. There is some confusion about the answer the Minister gave to that supplementary question. With your permission I will repeat the question because he has not answered it and he has now confused the actual question. I want to readdress that question to the Minister 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I thought the Minister was addressing the question. He was attempting to be helpful. But the member may ask a supplementary question. 
Paula Bennett 
: Again? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: No you have had that supplementary question and the Minister addressed it. But you have more supplementary questions. 
Paula Bennett 
: Can a service that does not run sessions or an hourly rate and that is 100 percent teacher-led simply deduct the $90 for 20 free hours off its weekly fees? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: I am afraid I do not have the information in front of me to be able to answer that question for the member. Perhaps she might care to put down a written question given that Parliament is not meeting for another 3 weeks to get back an answer more quickly. 
Sue Moroney 
: What reports has he seen about how many 3 and 4-year-olds would receive 20 free hours of early childhood education under National Party policy? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: The policy is to scrap 20 hours’ free early childhood education despite Mr Key saying he wants to see these young kids able to have 20 free hours. But then of course he has already promised more money for private schools and that will reduce the amount of money for early childhood education. 
Paula Bennett 
: How fair is it that some centres are saying that they want to play strictly by the rules and as such cannot offer 20 free hours and some are listening to the Minister of Education fudge his whole line of what the rules are and will break the rules knowing that the Minister will not enforce them because he has to make this policy work in order to have any credibility? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: I am sure the Minister will ensure that the rules are enforced. We are not going to get into a position where we offer 20 hours’ free early childhood education and it is not free.