3. Hon MARYAN STREET (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister for Tertiary Education
What advice has she received about the number of adult and community education courses that are unlikely to be offered in 2010 as a result of the Government’s funding cuts in this area?
Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister for Tertiary Education) Link to this
The Tertiary Education Commission does not purchase adult and community education on a course-by-course basis. Providers determine the number of specific courses they deliver within an overall funding allocation by the Tertiary Education Commission. The member who asked the question used to hold the delegation for adult and community education, so I presume that she would know that. The Government will continue to invest $124 million in adult and community education over the next 4 years.
Hon Maryan Street Link to this
Which of the following courses offered and supported by Tangaroa College in South Auckland does the Minister think should be self-funded by the participants: mathematics for Tongan parents, volunteer training and financial management advice for the Otara Budgeting Service, or making stepfamilies work, a parenting course run by Family Works?
Over many days in this House, I have explained to the member who has just resumed her seat the priorities for funding on adult and community education. The priorities are literacy, numeracy, and foundation courses. As Minister, I will not decide anything. The Tertiary Education Commission will make the decisions as to what providers are funded and for what courses.
Hon Maryan Street Link to this
What hope does the Minister offer to her Māori Party colleague Te Ururoa Flavell, who said in a recent speech to the Adult and Community Education Conference 2009: “It would be difficult to have too much hope when the so called ‘future growth’ of the foundation learning pool; adult literacy educator grants; literacy in industry training and employee one-to-one literacy provision has been removed.”?
I repeat to that member that the priorities in the middle of an economic recession for adult and community education, as have been explained to the Māori Party, are literacy and numeracy, foundation skills, and courses that will lead to employment for people.
Louise UpstonWhat reports has the Minister seen of commentators misleading the public over adult and community education funding?
I have seen the release from the Labour list member Lynne Pillay, claiming that New Zealand Sign Language courses will be cut. That is absolutely not the case. New Zealand Sign Language will continue to receive adult and community education funding, because it fits within the Government’s adult and community education priority. [ Interruption] The members on the opposite side of the House either want an answer or they do not. The courses will not be cut. That is scaremongering of the worst kind by the Opposition to members of those communities—[ Interruption]
Mr SPEAKERI apologise to the Minister for interrupting her answer, but, honestly, I could not hear it. I think it is important to remember that if I cannot hear her answer, I am sure other members of the House cannot. I am sure the House is interested in hearing the answer. [ Interruption] I ask for a little bit more reasonableness in the volume of noise.
That absolutely proves the point that the Labour Opposition is not interested in the facts about what will be funded in adult and community education in the future. The members are more interested in producing another press release that is factually incorrect. New Zealand Sign Language will be funded; it will continue to be funded. If the members had asked the question, they would have got the answer.
Hon Maryan Street Link to this
What is the Minister saying to the 1,676 students who participated in an adult and community education course run through Whakatane High School last year and to the 800 who have enrolled so far this year, who will not be able to avail themselves of this well-known parenting course for fathers and sons, and many other courses besides; or are all such courses simply hobby courses in her book?
As I said to that member in answer to similar questions on Tuesday, parenting courses throughout New Zealand are funded by a variety of means: by the Department of Internal Affairs, by district health boards, by the Ministry of Social Development—and some have been funded through schools. The best advice that that member could give, as I have given, to those students who are being funded through Whakatane High School—
Hon Tariana Turia Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I am seeking your guidance. The issue was raised in the House a couple of days ago of people moving to other parts of the House and then barracking, and I would like you to note that people from Labour are sitting on the front benches who do not normally sit there, and are barracking.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
Mr Speaker, I think you have seen from our exchange that the major volume of barracking was, in fact, coming from me. You corrected me for it. The member has not been in the House that often, but I have been shifted on to the front bench again recently.
I do not need to hear further. I am sure the member’s benchmate, Grant Robertson, has also been interjecting with considerable volume. I think the rule is sometimes fairly unworkable. Members move around the House these days, and it is unreasonable to expect them to stay in their own seats. All I would ask is that all members are reasonable with their interjections. Members should remember that the acoustics in this House mean that interjections from members at the front of the Chamber make it very hard to hear what is going on, because the volume at the front here can be very loud. All I am asking for is just a bit of reasonableness. Has the Hon Anne Tolley finished her answer?
Hon Bill EnglishI raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Does that mean that the rules have changed? For at least 19 years, as far as I am aware, the rule has been that if a member shifts seats to give himself or herself advantage, the member cannot interject. That is the rule. If you are going to change it, I think you should make it quite clear that you are changing the rule.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
The rule, in fact, is that members cannot shift for the purpose of interjecting. There is a subjective test involved in that rule that only you, Mr Speaker, can decide. Even then, your decision is likely to be challenged.
Hon Rodney HideI think that is quite true, but who in their right mind would otherwise choose to sit beside the angry one—
That is not acceptable—[ Interruption] That is not acceptable. I ask the honourable member to stand, withdraw, and apologise to the House for that abuse of Standing Orders.
H V Ross RobertsonNo, we have had enough. I have heard quite enough on this matter. The Hon Trevor Mallard was absolutely correct that members cannot shift seats for the purpose of interjecting more effectively or more closely. I am not changing the rules; all I am asking is that the House be sensible and reasonable. A certain amount of interjection is good and healthy. Where Ministers give provocative answers there will be interjection. That is good and healthy; it shows the interjector is listening to the answer, and that is good. But I just ask that it be a little bit reasonable. At times, there, it got so loud that it was difficult to hear. Had the Hon Anne Tolley finished her answer?
Hon Maryan Street Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I was under the impression that the Minister had not, in fact, finished her answer when the Hon Tariana Turia raised her point of order. I thought she was mid-sentence.