Awatere Huata Donna: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members Questions to Ministers 
Awatere Huata Donna: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:618;Page:14476] 
11.  
DONNA AWATERE HUATA (Independent) 
 to the  
Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education) 
: Can he confirm that any polytechnic found to have breached the intent of classification 5.1 funding either by way of payments to enrol students or by not ensuring that students engaged in learning will be required to return the money; if not why not? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Leader of the House) 
 on behalf of the 
 Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education) 
:  
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Deputy Prime Minister) 
 on behalf of the Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education): Any breach of funding guidelines whether by a large polytechnic or a small community provider is treated seriously and addressed appropriately. I expect any provider to cooperate fully with the Tertiary Education Commission on that. 
Donna Awatere Huata 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Was that a “Yes” or “No”? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member cannot demand that. The Minister addressed the question. I heard him. The member will please ask her supplementary question. 
Donna Awatere Huata 
: Can the Minister explain how it was that Christchurch Polytechnic was able to receive $15.3 million for distributing CD-ROMs which may or may not have even seen the inside of an enrolee’s computer—if that enrolee even had a computer—or the Eastern Institute of Technology receive $18 million for broadcasting a radio programme to which enrolees may or may not have even listened when he knows that if it had been a Maori whanaunga it would have been audited re-audited and audited again with payments withheld as happened with Carich New Zealand which at least delivered what it was supposed to; or is this just another example of “It’s so marvellous to be white.”? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: There are three questions there. The Minister may comment on two. 
Donna Awatere Huata 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I have two questions: one begins “Can the Minister explain”; the other begins “or is this”. The other parts are adverbial or adjectival clauses. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: All right. I will accept the member’s word. 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: Commenting on the Carich issue I point out that the Tertiary Education Commission worked cooperatively with Carich over many months to try to resolve the issues. For instance it agreed with Carich to spread its debt repayments over a longer time than for other providers and it agreed to Carich’s request to submit a most unusual third single data return. The fact of the matter is that at the end of the day Carich went bust. 
Donna Awatere Huata 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I had two questions there. The Minister answered one. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: What was the second one? 
Donna Awatere Huata 
: It asked how it was possible that the Christchurch Polytechnic and the Eastern Institute of Technology could get away with the spending of $33 million and no auditing. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I thought the Minister addressed the question but if he wants to make a further comment he can. No he does not wish to. 
Lynne Pillay 
: Why has the Minister decided to cap community education and subject it to more scrutiny? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: The Government is implementing a strategic approach to investment in tertiary education. We have other priorities for enrolment growth such as ensuring skills are met. Community education continues to have an important role but on a smaller scale. 
Hon Brian Donnelly 
: Is it true that tertiary institutions whose 5.1 levels have remained the same over the last few years will have to cut back by 15 percent each year for the next few years; if so how can he possibly say that those institutions that have not caused the 5.1 blowout are not being penalised? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: I will try to explain it which is actually quite difficult. The formula uses a baseline of the average of a tertiary education institution’s validly enrolled classification 5.1 equivalent full-time students for 2002-03 and its forecast classification 5.1 equivalent full-time students for 2004. On those allocations the 2004-06 period is then calculated as the 2004 forecast equivalent full-time students plus 119 percent of the baseline. 
Tariana Turia 
: Can the Minister assure whanau hapu and iwi that community education courses run by Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi that have led to degrees in postgraduate participation will not be affected by the funding cuts caused by the action of irresponsible mainstream polytechs? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: The very large growth in 5.1 course numbers is not confined at all simply to polytechnics. It has been a very broad experience across the board—clearly well in excess of what the Government anticipated and there are doubts raised around the quality of courses in a wide range of institutions. The Government does not propose to distinguish on the basis of treating Maori providers better than general providers in that respect.