Shirley Ken: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Shirley Ken: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:625;Page:20368] 
11.  
Hon KEN SHIRLEY (ACT) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: Does he concede that the fall in enrolments at Te Wananga o Aotearoa from 34000 equivalent full-time students in 2003 to 22000 equivalent full-time students this year is in part a result of the elimination of alleged fraudulent enrolments following closer public scrutiny and what reports if any has he received of questionable enrolment practices? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Minister of Education) 
: 
 The fall in enrolments is a reflection of a number of factors. It illustrates that the rapid growth at the wananga over the past few years was unsustainable and that the marked changes in unemployment rates especially for Maori have led to a decline in numbers as well. I have asked the Tertiary Education Commission to investigate a number of allegations but as yet I have not received evidence of any large-scale enrolment fraud. The Tertiary Education Commission is continuing to investigate any cases reported. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: If the Minister is not prepared to rule out that fraudulent enrolments account for stolen millions of taxpayers’ money will the Minister refer this matter to the Serious Fraud Office particularly as the issues of both enrolment and course quality were specifically excluded from the Auditor-General’s terms of reference? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: At any such time as I get the evidence of course I will. 
Hon Bill English 
: Can the Minister confirm that over the past 2 years he has paid over $100000 to a consultant Mr Graham McNally to be a watchdog in the wananga that Labour candidate Shane Jones was on the audit and risk-management committee at the wananga and that the Minister was briefed—sometimes weekly—over 2 years on the 25 audits and investigations of the wananga; and is it not true that in spite of all that advice the taxpayer has now had to front up with $20 million because the Minister was too lazy and scared to do anything about it? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Yes yes no and no. 
Hon Bill English 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. Because of the noise I do not think that anyone heard the Minister’s answer. I would like to hear him repeat it. 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: This is an interesting example of what one might call perverse incentives; the noise is because his own colleagues are barracking and that is why he could not hear the answer. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: In the interests of moving forward would the Minister please repeat his answer. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: As far as I can now recall—yes yes no and no. 
Tariana Turia 
: Is it not true that the enrolments at Te Wananga o Aotearoa are actually superior to the average for other tertiary institution organisations across the country; and can the Minister confirm that despite the adverse media publicity and the Minister’s comments the wananga’s enrolment and equivalent full-time student figures closely match those of 2004 and are on target to meet budget forecasts for 2005? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I am not sure what a “superior” enrolment is; and to the last part of the question: that is not my understanding. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: In view of the financial strife confronting Te Wananga o Aotearoa resulting from reduced enrolments will the Government now be funding the World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education known as the “WIPCE” which is programmed for December to be hosted by Te Wananga o Aotearoa and being billed by the chairman as an extraordinary extravaganza; if so how much funding is the Government providing for that extravaganza? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I have no intention of funding the World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education.