Ardern Jacinda: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeArdern Jacinda: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 12 February 2015. Volume:703;Page:1545. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]9.JACINDA ARDERN (Labour)to the Minister of Internal Affairs: What are the expected savings per year as a result of the changes to the National Library curriculum topic loan service?Hon LOUISE UPSTON (Minister for Land Information)on behalf of theMinister of Internal Affairs: I am advised that the improved service that will be offered by the National Library is not about saving money; it is about delivering more books and more information into more schools for more students. The National Library has 622500 books available to schools and these books will continue to be available. Savings specific to the curriculum topic loan service have not been finalised as operational implementation decisions are still being worked through. However the Department of Internal Affairs’ 2014 4-year plan has signalled a preliminary estimate of savings from the new National Library Services to Schools strategy of $0.392 million per annum.Jacinda Ardern: Did the Minister or the Department of Internal Affairs specifically consult on this change with teachers or with the School Library Association whose president recently stated that “These cuts are going to have detrimental effects on the learning of children.”; if not why not?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: I can confirm that the review that was undertaken in 2012 included at least 59 teachers school librarians the education sector as well as Government experts who were engaged in a series of external focus reviews and interviews undertaken as part of that review. I do want to put on record that this is not a cut to the service; this is the ability for the National Library to deliver more information and more books in more schools and that will provide better learning opportunities for more of our children.Mr SPEAKER: Order! The level of chatter in the House is unacceptably high.Jacinda Ardern: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Minister referenced a proposal document put before 59 teachers in 2012. Would it be—Mr SPEAKER: What is the point of order?Jacinda Ardern: I am seeking that she table the document she referenced.Mr SPEAKER: If the Minister quoted from an official document a request has been made to table it.Hon LOUISE UPSTON: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I spoke about the review that was undertaken in 2012.Mr SPEAKER: There was no official document quoted in the answer.Jacinda Ardern: Can she guarantee that every school will have equal access to the online resources the Minister claims will replace this service given that the School Library Association has said in an open letter that the “new online initiative does not take into consideration those schools that have limited access to computers and poor internet connections.” including rural and low-decile schools?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: I want to confirm that the National Library is providing targeted programmes to support priority school communities around access to not only the existing books that they have. Additional information will be provided as a result of the service. I want to give an example of one of the pieces of information that is not available currently but will be available through the additional services from the National Library. The Alexander Turnbull Library resources are currently being digitised. One example of information that will be available to all schools across New Zealand is the diary of a soldier who served at the front line in World War I. That will be in addition—there is no cut. There is no cut to the books being available.Jacinda Ardern: If the current curriculum topic loan service—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am again having trouble hearing the question. I ask Jacinda Ardern to start again.Jacinda Ardern: If the current curriculum topic loan service is so out of date that it is being replaced why according to the National Library’s own annual report did the service lend close to one million items in the last year alone which was an increase on the year before for a service that the Minister is proposing will no longer be available to teachers?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: I do want to make it very clear that this is an enhancement to the services that are available to students. Our children learn in very different ways and through many different mediums from those we learnt through. In addition to the books that they currently receive—in addition—they will have access to a much broader range of material and information that support our children in the way they learn and their thirst for knowledge will be provided for in a way that is not currently provided.Jacinda Ardern: I seek leave to table a petition of 18196 New Zealanders calling on Peter Dunne to—Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is a process for the tabling of petitions in this House. [Interruption] Order! I am advised by the Clerk that leave can be sought to do what the member is asking so I will put the leave. Leave is sought to table this petition signed by some 18000 people. Is there any objection to that course of action? There is objection.