Education Minister Nick Smith says that Labour's Early Childhood Education Policy would slow growth in the sector and that the funding provided is miles away from the promises they had to go with it.

"Labour's promise of an extra $68 million over three years amounts to an increase of $23 million per year. This 7% increase is less than a quarter of the increase that's been provided by National, not just over the last three years but over the last decade. There is no way Labour can deliver increased funding for rural early childhood centres, centres for Pacific Island children and centres for Maori children and reduce staff:child ratios with this sort of funding. It also shows Labour's commitment to pay parity with the primary sector is just weasel words. This policy alone will cost $140 million per year, not the $23 million that Labour's prepared to spend."

"Consistent with other policy releases, Labour has not done its homework properly and is promising things way beyond its ability to pay for them."

ENDS

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