English Bill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
English Bill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:624;Page:19693] 
4.  
Hon BILL ENGLISH (National—Clutha-Southland) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: Has he been advised of the compliance costs of the data collection requirements for the new early childhood education funding system that requires some services to perform a staff hour count? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Minister of Education) 
: 
 The staff hour count is not compulsory. Education centres that want the significant extra funding for quality services available from this month are however required to certify that staff are present. They have always been required to certify the attendance of children. Most centres can count their staff numbers. 
Hon Bill English 
: Can the Minister confirm that his new system requires early childhood centres to record every child and every registered teacher every hour of every day; and does he recall this email: “Dear Mr Mallard yesterday I spent just over 2 hours completing Wednesday’s record.” and does he recall his response in an email to his staff member which shows he has no idea what is happening that states: “Charlie can you please get me an update. My understanding is that all that has to happen is that the roster which had to be done anyway is transferred to a form to be held for audit.” and how can early childhood centres have any confidence in a Minister who thinks there is nothing to it when they are spending 2 hours a day filling out the forms? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Every early childhood centre is required to have a roster. At the end of the day— 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Every day? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Yes staff do come and go from early childhood centres and they have always been required to have a roster to show how many staff are there. They transfer the information to a form. My understanding is that it takes competent people 5 minutes. 
Lynne Pillay 
: Have the increased hourly rates been made available to private centres? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Yes. 
Hon Bill English 
: Can the Minister confirm John Tamihere’s view that Labour politicians have no idea of life with children because they do not have any as demonstrated by this email from a teacher who went to one of the Ministry of Education training sessions: “I brought up the problems at the ministry training session in New Plymouth. The facilitator recommended that we should ask our parents—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Can that member please leave the House. There is to be no interruption while questions are being asked. Can the member please complete his question. 
Hon Steve Maharey withdrew from the Chamber. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I think you are quite right to ask Mr Maharey to leave. But I believe he is set down to answer questions in the House. It would be a penalty on Opposition parties who want to ask that Minister questions if he were to be out of the House. I am sure Mr Maharey is quite pleased not to be here. Perhaps like Mr English Mr Maharey could be asked back to answer the question. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: I was sitting next to the member whom you have asked to leave the House. I can affirm that he was not interjecting; he was talking to myself and his other colleague. There was no attempt to interrupt the speaker. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: The member can come back for his question. 
Hon Bill English 
: Can the Minister confirm John Tamihere’s view that Labour politicians have no idea about life with children because they do not have any as demonstrated by this email from a teacher who went to the ministry training session in New Plymouth: “I brought up the problems at the ministry training session in New Plymouth. The facilitator recommended that we should ask our parents to change their working hours so they can drop off and pick up on the hour. They felt no reasonable parent would be put out by this.”? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I think the question was in two parts. I can confirm that between the Deputy Prime Minister and myself there are an average of 3½ children for whom we are responsible and there are a few more parents further down the front bench. I do not have as many children as the member admits to that is absolutely correct but I do know that any such suggestion made by a ministry official is nonsense.