Pillay Lynne: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Pillay Lynne: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:621;Page:16882] 
4.  
LYNNE PILLAY (Labour—Waitakere) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: Has he received any proposals to scrap the Government’s policy of 20 hours per week of free early childhood education from mid-2007 for 3 and 4-year-olds in community-based centres? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Minister of Education) 
: 
 Yes. I have seen a proposal to scrap the free 20 hours per week in favour of 10 hours of free education for both community and private centres. That will come as a major shock to the families of around 28000 children who would have their existing entitlements to morning kindergarten slashed and charges imposed for the 5 hours a week that are currently free. In the case of free kindergarten it would be gone well before lunchtime if Don Brash had his way. 
Lynne Pillay 
: Why is the Government committed to extending 20 hours per week of free early childhood education for 3 and 4-year-olds to all community-based centres? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Research has shown that children who participate in quality early childhood education are more likely to succeed at school and later in life. Private centres are not missing out. They will receive around half of the $307 million being invested in this year’s Budget package which will allow them to improve quality and decrease charges. That is why major Australian companies and New Zealand private sector chains are investing millions in buying private sector centres in New Zealand. The private sector likes it even though the Tories whinge about it. 
Dr Don Brash 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I believe the Minister quoted me in a grossly misleading fashion. I am not sure whether he intended to quote me—he seemed to imply that he was quoting me. I have at no stage said that that was what our policy position would be. I was asked last week by the media whether I endorsed 20 hours of free early childhood education for all children. I said I was not endorsing any specific thing. I objected to discrimination between children going to community-based centres and those going to privately based centres. The reporter I think made the point of whether there could be some other option and I said that it could be 10 hours and 10 hours. But I am not endorsing any particular—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member is raising a point of order. He could have sought leave to make a personal explanation. I will not be too restrictive on that. The member was rightly raising a point of order. I would like him to finish it and then I will rule on it. 
Dr Don Brash 
: My impression is that the Minister quoted me in a quite misleading way. I would be interested to see the transcript on the basis of which he made his comment.  
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member’s word is to be accepted. Of course it becomes a matter for debate and that is what this place is all about.  
Hon Bill English 
: Can the Minister give the House one good reason why he is so determined to discriminate against 40000 New Zealand children by giving them a fundamentally lesser entitlement to early childhood care than that of other New Zealand children? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Because I am not prepared to promote the sorts of cuts that Don Brash suggested on the radio last week. 
Hon Bill English 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I asked the Minister to give a reason for his policy—one good reason why one group of children would get a lesser early childhood entitlement than another group has—and he did not even attempt to answer that question.  
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am ruling in favour of the member. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Because if I went to even a 10-hours-a-week basis as promoted by the Leader of the Opposition on the radio last week it would result in children being charged for 5 hours a week to go to what is currently free morning kindergarten—and I will not do that.  
Bernie Ogilvy 
: Can the Minister confirm that the estimated cost of extending 20 hours per week of free early childhood education for 3 and 4-year-olds to children in all early childhood education centres would be only $62 million more; and is his unwillingness to agree to that extension fiscal or ideological? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I think that the member was referring to the annual cost rather than the 3-year cost we had been referring to before.  
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Ah! That’s pathetic. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Well poor old Mr Smith may think that $62 million is pathetic— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member will please just answer the question and not make parenthetical comments.  
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: This Government does not think that $62 million a year is chicken feed.