David Seymour says the Government's winning because attendance is improving.
The Associate Education Minister's putting $140 million towards improving attendance over four years, promising to reach twice the number of students.
Extra support is going to 170 schools with chronic absence.
Seymour told Mike Hosking when defining our long-term future, the thing that matters most is getting kids into class.
He says throwing money at the problem helps, and this is a better use of taxpayer money to make sure children stay in schools.
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The Mike Hosking Breakfast