8. Hon NANAIA MAHUTA (Labour—Hauraki-Waikato) to the Minister of Education: Does her plan to improve teacher quality include reinstating the $45 million cut from teacher professional development in Budget 2009; if not, why not?

Hon HEKIA PARATA (Minister of Education) : In Budget 2009 the total investment in professional development was $99.08 million, a difference of $5.5 million from Budget 2008. From 2009 to 2016 we will have invested an average of nearly $90 million each year in professional development to raise quality teaching.

Hon Nanaia Mahuta: Is she aware that the Government is spending $19 million less on professional development for teachers in the next year than it did in 2008; if so, what impact will this have on her aspiration to lift student achievement?

Hon HEKIA PARATA: That is not true. We are spending, as I said in my primary answer, an average of $90 million in each year between 2009 and 2016. We remain committed to raising quality teaching.

Hon Nanaia Mahuta: I seek leave to table a document showing the decline of approximately $19 million in—

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: The source of the document?

Hon Nanaia Mahuta: It is a table compiled by the Parliamentary Library.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Leave is sought for that purpose. Is there anyone opposed to that course of action? It appears not. Leave is granted.

• Document, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.

Hon HEKIA PARATA: I seek leave to table the chart of consolidated appropriation data, which sets out the investment in professional development in total from 2003 to 2016. It reflects the fact that in the period 2009 to—

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! We do not need the detail. The member has sought leave to table the document. Is there anyone opposed to that? [Interruption] Is it a public document, as well? It is a public document. The same rules apply.

Hon David Parker: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. It is an official document. She is entitled to table it. She does not need leave. We are not objecting to it being tabled. We would like to see it.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: I thought the origin of the document was different from what the Minister has. Leave is sought. Is there anyone opposed to that course of action? There appears not. Leave is granted. My apologies. I just thought the source was different from what it actually was.

• Document, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.

Sue Moroney: If she believes that quality teaching is the most important factor in student achievement, will she then be reversing the Government’s 2010 decision to not have 100 percent qualified teachers in early childhood education?

Hon HEKIA PARATA: It is not a matter of my personal belief; it is what thousands of reports and reviews testify as the evidence.

Sue Moroney: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I invite the Minister to table those documents that she just referred to—even one of them will do. I would like to see one of those documents she just referred to.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, you cannot require someone to table anything, and the Minister has not responded to that.

Hon Nanaia Mahuta: Given that the $60 million set aside to help with the cost of postgraduate qualifications for teachers has now been scrapped, will students studying teaching in coming years face higher costs, or will investment in mentoring of new teachers be cut?

Hon HEKIA PARATA: As I have said, we are now going to have to look for $114 million, which will come from a pre-commitment and savings in the education Budget. But we continue to be committed to our quality agenda, which includes investing in all the areas of raising teaching quality.

Hon Nanaia Mahuta: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. That answer was more confusing than the simple question that I had asked. [Interruption]

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Points of order will be heard in silence.

Hon Nanaia Mahuta: The question was quite simple. If I repeat it perhaps the Minister—

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Actually, because there was so much noise I could not hear the completeness of the Minister’s answer. I will ask the member to restate the question.

Hon Nanaia Mahuta: Given that the $60 million set aside to help with the cost of postgraduate qualifications for teachers has now been scrapped, will students studying teaching in coming years face higher costs?

Hon HEKIA PARATA: Although the $60 million was tagged for specific initial teacher education, we are not scrapping our work in pursuing a quality agenda, which includes investing in all parts of the teacher spectrum.

Hon Nanaia Mahuta: What guarantee will the Minister give to the groups invited to participate in her newly established forum that their ideas to lift achievement and find savings will be adopted even if they contradict Government policy?

Hon HEKIA PARATA: Those are all matters for discussion when the forum is convened.