English Bill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
English Bill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:620;Page:15536] 
8.  
Hon BILL ENGLISH (National—Clutha-Southland) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: What is the Government’s policy on how much parents caregivers and communities should pay towards the cost of their children’s education? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Minister of Education) 
: 
 The Government provides sufficient funding for the curriculum to be delivered and for facilities to be maintained. Fifty-eight percent of that funding is provided in teacher salaries 21 percent in operations grant funding 10 percent in property funding and the rest comes from a variety of other pools. Schools can and do supplement Government funding with locally raised funds. Between 1997 and 2002—the latest full figures available—locally raised funds as a percentage of total revenue increased by 1.24 percent. Of course within that there has been some substitution from cake stalls to overseas students with an increase in gross revenue but not in net locally raised funds. 
Hon Bill English 
: Is the Minister aware that in 2002 the most recent year for which figures are available schools and parents fundraised about $470 million in that one single year and that it was equal to one-third of all school operations funding; and is that annual fundraising requirement of $470 million consistent with Labour Party policy? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I am aware of some of those facts. The member should remember of course that operations grant funding as opposed to the operational costs of running a school is the figure he used. I am also aware that in Clutha-Southland there are at least 66 extra teachers funded as a result of improvements that this Government has introduced over and above roll growth. There are 54 extra management units. Operations funding has increased by $1.6 million. Deficits are down working capital is up and equity is up in schools nationally. 
Lynne Pillay 
: What reports has he seen on possible savings that could be made in order to increase school funding? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I have seen reports from Bill English that schools are awash with cash. I have seen reports from Don Brash that benefits should be cut for truants. I think that is a bit like the pot calling the kettle black in this particular case. 
Paul Adams 
: What guarantees does the Government have in place to ensure that any increases in the childcare assistance subsidy paid directly to providers are passed on to parents and not soaked up by early childhood education providers; or can he confirm that there are actually none? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I think there are two points. The first is that most of the additional payments are designed to pay staff who will have to be qualified and there is quite a differential between the salaries of unqualified and qualified staff. We are putting on requirements for staff to be qualified and therefore they will have to be paid for that. That money will not be passed on to parents. On the general question of the rates that parents pay monitoring work is going on—baseline work and some ongoing work—to ensure that parents are not ripped off as part of this change and I agree with the philosophy behind the member’s comment. 
Hon Bill English 
: Is the Minister proposing to spend $21 million this year on one-off payments to teachers who are members of unions and why is he sending the message to parents that they have to keep selling raffle tickets in order to keep their schools viable while he uses taxpayers’ money to do deals with Labour’s mates and subsidise union membership for teachers? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I have a memory that goes back 2 years when that member proposed paying them all $2000 each—not $500 but $2000 each. 
Hon Bill English 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. What recourse does a member have when the Government continues to repeat a lie? I have never recommended a payment to union members only and he knows that but keeps on lying to the House. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: There are two things. First of all the member cannot use that phrase and will withdraw and apologise. 
Hon Bill English 
: I withdraw and apologise. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The second point is that I now accept what the member said absolutely and so will every other member of the House. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I do this only to make it absolutely clear that the $500 applies to members covered by the collective agreement and that is exactly what that member suggested. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is not a point of order and the Minister knows it. 
Peter Brown 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I thought the Hon Bill English asked a very reasonable question. I think there are parents out there who want to know how the Minister has prioritised funds to pay $21 million to union members. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The point is that the Minister addressed the question. He may not have satisfied the member with his answer but he addressed the question. The Minister gave a reply and I have accepted Mr English’s comment absolutely as every member must. 
Hon Bill English 
: I seek leave to table the New Zealand Educational Institute contract negotiations update that makes it clear the $500 payment is a reward for union membership. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that contract update. Is there any objection? There is. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I ask you in all seriousness to reconsider your ruling. Mr English asked a question but all that the Minister of Education did was to attack him on something that turned out to be false and that was it. You have said that if a member stands up to ask a question that the House is clearly interested in and the Minister rises makes a false accusation and then sits down that is considered by you to have addressed the question. I cannot see how that could possibly be the case. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I think the member has made a reasonable point. I now ask the Minister to address the question that was asked. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: There are proposals in the negotiations that I am not commenting on in the House. 
Hon Bill English 
: Can the Minister give the House a reassurance in relation to the primary teachers collective agreement newsletter No. 6 which states: “Under the progress made by your campaign 8.5 percent over 3 years” and describes that as “parity maintained and union membership rewarded”; and can he confirm whether that is a correct representation of his $21 million payment to subsidise teachers who are members of the union only? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: No.