Peachey Allan: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
Peachey Allan: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
[Volume:674;Page:20402] 
ALLAN PEACHEY (National—Tamaki) 
: 
 Goodness gracious me education is one of the keystone policies of this Government and that was the best that Labour could offer in return! If ever a speech in this Chamber shattered forever the self-delusion that Labour members operate under that somehow it is the party of education that speech from Sue Moroney did it. That speech combined with the estimates the Budget of 2011 put together with the Budgets of 2010 and 2009 should end once and for all the self-delusion of members opposite that somehow Labour is the party of education. It is not. 
There is one figure in this Budget that must not be overlooked—$12.2 billion. That is a record. It is a massive $4.4 billion increase in investment since the Government took office. I will repeat those figures— 
Sue Moroney 
: Is it going to cover inflation and is it going to cover roll growth? 
ALLAN PEACHEY 
: I tell Ms Moroney to repeat after me: $12.2 billion. That is an increase of $4.4 billion. 
Let us take a moment to examine to its logical conclusion what the Opposition spokesperson on education said about early childhood education. What in effect the member said—speaking directly to what Labour would claim to be its natural constituency such as the people who live in the Glen Innes suburb of the Tamaki electorate which I represent in this Chamber—was that Labour is opposed to the efforts this Government is making to extend the early childhood education provision into those communities. Yet that is a priority of this Government. Why Labour and its spokesperson have not been able to get their heads around the logical extension of what they are saying is beyond me. 
I invite Miss Moroney when the Labour Party finally finds a candidate for Tamaki to go out with that person knock on a few doors around Glen Innes and explain to the good people there why Labour does not support the actions of this Government in this Budget and these estimates to extend the early childhood education provision into that community. The natural consequence of the arguments that the spokesperson opposite is putting up is to deny that expansion. I invite that member to go out with whoever the Labour Party candidate is knock on those doors and counter what I have been telling them about the expansion of early childhood education in their community. 
I will now take a few moments to refer to the schooling sector and in particular to some of the innovations and the expansion of programmes that are occurring. An extra $621 million is being invested over the next 4 years. There is $118.1 million for school operational funding and $77.9 million for roll growth—and remember that this is at a time of fiscal constraint. Such is the importance that this Government places on education that spending not only is being maintained but is being increased. This includes $66.5 million over 4 years for Youth Guarantee and five new trades academies in addition to the eight existing ones with a further four academies to open next year and 4000 places by 2014. 
One might be forgiven for reflecting on the neglect of trade education when Labour was in Government.