New definitions of “free”

The “20 free hours” early childhood policy is a perfect example of why people are cynical. Labour keeps claiming that parents can get 20 free hours. A National MP pointed out that if McDonalds used “free” in the way Labour does, they would claim to be have free hamburgers, but a $3 charge for the cardboard box. Absolutely.

The latest novel interpretation of free is to have an early childhood centre require parents to enrol for a minimum of seven hours a day, as the “free” hours are for a maximum of six per day. And to use that seventh hour to charge a fee to make up for the funding shortfall for the other six hours.

If the Government told the truth and said that the 20 hours are not free, but heavily subsidised, they would probably get plaudits for that. Because the subsidy will help many parents. But their insistence on continuing with Orwellian definitions means that their credibility just gets hammered. Stupid, stupid, stupid.