Early Childhood Education—Free Hours Eligibility

Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this

The member has asked this question frequently, and on each occasion I have encouraged her just to relax. The policy is under good control. I think the Ministry of Education has done a very good job on the policy, and it has been processing the centres and the numbers. As I have said frequently, the policy is to be launched on 1 July. I know that the member is eager to see it, because I know that her leader is aspirational about it. I will make sure that those figures are made known to her, as well, at that time.

Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this

Very few. Many kindergartens are no longer asking parents for regular donations, because of the 20 free hours policy. If it were scrapped, kindergartens would have to go back to asking for donations, but donations would not qualify for a childcare tax deduction. Moreover, many parents in the situation where one parent stays at home with the kids would be disqualified. Based on a recent New Zealand Council for Educational Research survey, it appears that two-thirds of kindergarten households are in that situation, which would make a childcare tax deduction meaningless.

Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this

I can confirm those figures. As the select committee was told—a meeting at which the Opposition spokesperson was present—the Ministry of Education surveyed all centres and got a 56 percent return. The peer reviewer of that research said that a 25 percent return would have been adequate to get an accurate picture. So the ministry gained a very, very good picture of the current costs being incurred by the sector, and those are the figures that it arrived at.

Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this

That is a very good point. I refer the member to the general manager of the Central North Island Kindergarten Association, who recently told the Waikato Times“I must correct the impression … that the Government has always provided 20 hours of free hours to three- to four-year-olds at kindergarten. In fact parents have always had to meet the cost of day-to-day running of kindergartens by making donations, paying fees and fundraising.” And as the Lower Hutt Kindergarten Association has pointed out, the days of that happening are over because under this policy they now get stable funding 4 months in advance.

Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this

I have to say that the policy has had a few debates over the past few months, but they can be traceable to, essentially, three people. Two of them are in the House, and one of them is the chief executive of the Early Childhood Council. If anybody else was to be asked—Irene Cooper of the New Zealand Educational Institute, researchers like Linda Mitchell, people like Nancy Bell who run services, or the many people who run kindergarten associations around the country—such people would say they have simply gotten on with it.

Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this

I do feel that this member has never really understood this policy, so I take her back again to the general manager of the Central North Island Kindergarten Association, who said that 20 free hours have never been available to this category of young person. The parents have raised money, they have paid donations, and they have paid fees, all across the country. Right now, the Lower Hutt Kindergarten Association, for example, is charging nil to its parents, whereas before they fund-raised, paid fees, and made donations. I am looking across at Mr Simon Power, the father of a young child; he will be looking forward to not having to do that when he enrols that young child in a kindergarten association.

Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this

Parents whose children go to early childhood centres and get a Work and Income subsidy will, of course, benefit. If they get 20 free hours, they benefit. But the one thing they must fear is a childcare tax credit, which would mean they would lose heavily. A beneficiary, for example, would get nothing. But they should also fear the sheer confusion that surrounds all of the policies from the National Party, and, of course, they should expect that a flip-flop is about to arrive.

Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this

All I can say is that the member has turned up in the House with a number of hypothetical cases. If she would care to give us any of those kinds of situations, we would look at them. But usually we find out she is wrong.