Amery has introduced a number of private member's bills designed to extend primary education to include kindergarten, requiring school boards to provide it and making attendance compulsory. The first two of these - both called the "School Amendment Act", sponsored in 1995 and 1997 - failed to reach second reading before the legislature adjourned. Amery's third attempt, the "School (Early Childhood Services) Amendment Act", was defeated on second reading. Liberals were unanimous in their support of the bill, pointing to similar bills that had previously been sponsored by Liberal MLAs Grant Mitchell and Michael Henry. Several of Amery's Progressive Conservative Colleagues, including Mary O'Neill, Albert Klapstein, and Wayne Cao, also lent their support. However, the bill was defeated on second reading with a majority of the P.C. caucus voting against. Victor Doerksen, the only Conservative to speak in opposition to the bill, expressed concern that instituting mandatory attendance at the kindergarten level constituted an infringement on parental autonomy. New Democrat Raj Pannu, the only member of his caucus present for the vote, also opposed the bill, on the grounds that it would allow private groups to provide kindergarten with the approval of the Minister of Learning.