Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

One of the member for Warringah’s constant character traits—some would find it endearing; others, frustrating—is that he sees the world sharply in black and white, and there are ranges of complexity that he always finds difficult to deal with. I will leave it for others to assess whether it is endearing or frustrating. I think the member for Warringah dreams at night in a fevered way of socialist conspiracies; they worry him greatly. He ought to be getting a good night’s sleep. We are talking about a better and more efficient market in child care. When we talk about a better and more efficient market in child care, one of the things that have put upwards pressure on childcare fees is obviously supply constraints. We want to address the supply constraints. That is what the up to 260 new childcare centres are about. That is what the new workforce measures are about.

You would anticipate, as we address those supply constraints—and the government is in the phase of dealing with partnerships, such as public-private partnerships and partnerships with community based organisations and not-for-profit organisations—that one of the things that would be in the mix of that decision making is a track record of having provided affordable child care. Of course, it will not be the only thing but it will be one of the things in the mix of that decision making. This is important in terms of the allocation of the up to 260 childcare centres. It is important in terms of the shape of the childcare market. Through addressing supply-side constraints, we obviously want to do what we can to assist with ongoing childcare affordability. I remind the member for Warringah, who I think is fond of claiming that all things in this budget would have happened had the Howard government still been here, that a major childcare affordability measure in this budget—the increase in CCTR from 30 per cent to 50 per cent—would most assuredly not have happened had the Howard government been re-elected.

Proposed expenditure agreed to.

Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs Portfolio

Proposed expenditure, $3,270,142,000

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