Sue
Moroney
Education spokesperson
14 October 2011 MEDIA STATEMENT
National won’t reveal ECE plans before the election

Today's Government response to the ECE Taskforce recommendations show its funding recommendations were too hot to handle this close to the election, Labour Early Childhood Education spokesperson Sue Moroney says.

“It’s obvious from today’s much delayed response that National are trying to buy some time by setting up sector working groups to look at it further,” Sue Moroney said.

“The future of 20 hour ECE remains uncertain with the Minister remaining silent on guaranteeing the existing subsidy levels for the popular scheme. The ECE Taskforce recommended reducing the universal subsidy from Government for 20 hours ECE.

“The Minister has said it will remain universal but has not said how much the subsidy would be. If the universal subsidy is reduced for 20 hours ECE, it will mean further fee increases for parents of pre-school children. National need to come clean and say what they are doing.

“Anne Tolley has also indicated changes for Kohanga Reo. The Taskforce recommended reducing funding to Kohanga Reo.

“The ECE Taskforce recommended big funding cuts to home-based ECE services and the Government response is silent on this issue. It is also silent on the taskforce's recommendation to cut funding to Playcentres.

“The Government gave the Taskforce the impossible job of adding more children to ECE without costing more. This inevitably means funding cuts for some services and National should be honest about where those cuts might be, before the election.

“Funding cuts to ECE implemented by the Government in February this year have already increased costs to families by 12 per cent. Parents deserve to know what they could face under National in the future. Today's non-response tells them nothing,” Sue Moroney said.

ENDS

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