7. Hon MARYAN STREET (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister for Tertiary Education
What events, if any, did she attend to celebrate Adult Learners’ Week last week?
Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister for Tertiary Education) Link to this
I received three invitations to attend events but unfortunately, because of other commitments, I was unable to attend them. Messages of support were sent to those groups that requested them.
Hon Maryan Street Link to this
Is the Minister aware that there will be no night classes offered through high schools or the community group courses that they support in the whole of the Hutt Valley in 2010 as a result of the cuts to adult and community education; if she is, does she think that situation needs correcting?
I say to that member that no decisions have yet been made about the provision of adult and community education next year; if fact, expressions of interest have only just been received. However, this Government has indicated that it is committed to adult and community education, and that is why we are investing $124 million in it over the next 4 years.
Colin KingThere is significant funding for adult learners. As I said, first of all, the Government is providing $124 million over the next 4 years for adult and community education. Second, in Budget 2009 the Government put an additional $11 million of funding into the Workplace Literacy Fund. That means that in the 2009-10 financial year this Government will fund 4,500 Workplace Literacy Fund places, 5,600 intensive literacy and numeracy places, 2,000 employee-targeted one-on-one places, 6,800 literacy and numeracy places embedded in mainstream Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics of New Zealand provisions, and 7,000 literacy places in industry training. I think that is a fantastic commitment to adult education.
Hon Maryan Street Link to this
Is the Minister intending to revisit the decision to cut adult and community education to high schools or will she just “feel guilty” about it, as her colleague Nick Smith said when he was confronted by protesters on Saturday?
No. This Government has decided that it needs to focus money in the tertiary education budget on education outcomes for young New Zealanders, who are likely to be disproportionately affected by the economic downturn.
Hon Maryan Street Link to this
Does the Minister intend to meet with any of the 700 protesters in Auckland on Saturday to discuss alternative solutions to the adult and community education funding cuts?
No. I am continuing to talk to principals and representatives in the sector around the country, as I have done over the last few months. The purpose of many of those meetings has been to ask me to change my mind, but there is no change of mind; these changes and the refocusing of adult and community education will continue.
Hon Maryan Street Link to this
I seek leave to table three documents. The first is speech notes for a speech to the Upper Hutt meeting I attended last week on 10 September as part of Adult Learners’ Week.
Mr SPEAKERIt is a point of order—we may not have heard such leave sought before. Leave is sought to table a document containing speech notes of a speech that the member gave to a meeting somewhere. Is there any objection to that? There is objection.
Hon Maryan Street Link to this
I seek leave to table a speech I made to an Auckland meeting of adult learners on 12 September.
Hon Maryan Street Link to this
I seek leave to table a letter of support I sent on 10 September to the Taranaki meeting celebrating Adult Learners’ Week.
Darien FentonI seek leave to table the minutes of the “Stop Night Class Cuts” meeting attended by more than 150 people at Glenfield College in the North Shore on Monday, 20 July, at which I was the guest speaker.
Leave is sought to table the minutes from a meeting at Glenfield College. Is there any objection? There is objection.
Paul QuinnI seek leave to table speech notes for a speech given at a community meeting in Upper Hutt last Thursday evening.
I sincerely hope that members do not develop a sudden desire to table all their speech notes, or the House, which has already taken too long on question time today, will be endlessly delayed. Leave is sought by the honourable member to table his speech notes. Is there any objection? There is objection.
Hon Clayton Cosgrove Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. My request of you is one of consistency. Earlier today Nick Smith sought leave—quite professionally—to table the speech notes of my Opposition colleague Charles Chauvel. You treated the request with respect, you did not roll your eyes, and you did not make any facial gestures. The issue was put and it was dealt with. When my colleague Maryan Street and other colleagues asked for the similar privilege of tabling speech notes—yes, their own—you exhibited rather animated expressions that I think were a bit off. I ask you for consistency. It is members’ right under Standing Orders, and there has been no ruling against this. Any member can seek leave to table anything. If you do not like it then that is a matter for you, but the Standing Orders are clear.
Let me make it very clear to the honourable member that the Speaker does rule on matters. If members do not like it, then the ultimate solution is in members’ hands. While I am Speaker, I will rule on matters. I make it very clear to the House that I do not think it would be a very smart idea for members to start seeking leave to table their speeches. The reason why the particular exchange between the Hon Dr Nick Smith and Charles Chauvel was relevant is that leave had been sought and granted for a member to make a personal explanation. There was some concern about the content of the first half of that personal explanation, so leave was sought to table documents to sort out an issue where there appeared to be disagreement between members. I saw that as being a rather different situation from one where members seek leave to table their speech notes. Members give speeches endlessly up and down this country, and I think tabling them would be a practice that would be unhelpful. Certainly, I accept that from time to time there may be good reason for it, but it is not a path I think this House should go down. If the member does not like my approach to the matter then I apologise to him, but I do not intend to allow this House to waste endless time with leave being sought for members to table the notes of their speeches.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Because I have a particular interest in the speech that Mr Quinn has offered to table, there has been consultation and if he asks again there will not be objection.
I have already ruled on that matter and that is the end of it. [ Interruption] The House must come to order. A fair bit of steam has been let off today. We have these days where there is a fair bit of excitement back and forth, and that is fine, but we need to come to order and get on with question time.
Hon Lianne Dalziel Link to this
I seek leave to table the speech I gave at the adult learners’ awards at Aranui High School in Christchurch on 10 September 2009.
Hon David Cunliffe Link to this
I seek leave to table a message given for me to the adult learners’ awards, attended by several hundred people in Waitakere, on Friday, 11 September.
Lynne PillayI seek leave to table a letter of congratulations to adult learners in Waitakere, urging them to continue their opposition to the National Government’s adult and community education cuts.
Charles ChauvelI seek leave to table a message from me to the Wellington Adult Learners’ Week event, held in Newlands on Saturday, and the response.
Sue MoroneyI seek leave to table a document, dated 7 September, entitled “Speaking notes” from my speech to the Adult Learners’ Week celebration in Hamilton.