ECE Cuts likely in Budget 

Sue Moroney - Early Childhood Education Spokesperson

Finance Minister Bill English and Education Minister Anne Tolley have set off the alarm bells about funding for early childhood education in the May budget by their sudden, repeated statements about the high cost of ECE.

They are preparing the sector for funding cuts, even though they promised not to tamper with ECE prior to the election.

If they do tamper with it, they will have broken an election promise and parents will rightfully feel betrayed.

Last year, National said early childhood education was a high priority, now their rhetoric is all about how costly it is.

John Key has also refused to rule out cost increases to parents as a result of budget decisions for ECE.

His Government has already dropped the target to have a fully-qualified workforce in the sector by 2012 and cut funding for professional development.

Labour views ECE as an investment in this country's future and will oppose any moves in the budget to cut taxes to top income earners while cutting funding for early childhood education.

You can view news coverage of this issue on TV One and TV3.