Mike Symon (Deakin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak against this motion moved by the Member for Aston. In 2008 the federal Labor government made a historic commitment to this nation's early childhood sector, and that is a sector that in the past has not received funding from a federal government. In a national agreement signed between the federal government and every state and territory government, the universal access obligation for the provision of preschool or kindergarten programs was expanded—a great thing. This increased the universal access obligation from 10 hours per week to 15 hours per week for 40 weeks of kindergarten or preschool education in the year before school, and that is for every child in Australia. This program continues on as an ambitious and important reform that will increase investment in our children and it is a program that grows by the year with more money each year going from the federal government to the states to do the work that is needed.

Research from around the world shows that quality early childhood education benefits all children and that children from disadvantaged backgrounds gain particular benefit if they attend kindergarten. Research also shows that benefits include improved cognitive functioning and social skills and thereby improved school readiness. Longitudinal studies have demonstrated positive effects on school completion, further education participation, employment outcomes, earnings and general social wellbeing. That is why the federal Labor government acted to expand the amount of kindergarten education a child will receive. A recent government report of 2011 suggests that around 30 per cent of all Australian children are missing out on early childhood education in the year before schooling and, although Victoria has a much higher percentage, I know the difference between the states is particularly marked. Queensland has a far, far lower participation rate than Victoria. I believe it is somewhere around about that low 30 per cent and it has got a long way to go. Victoria historically has had a very high participation rate in four-year-old kinder or equivalent and that is a good thing, and I certainly hope that continues but obviously for a larger amount of hours each week. Boosting the federal government's investment in the early years of learning is crucial to Australia's long-term economic, social and physical health for the reasons I just previously went through.

This is a long term and challenging reform. More kindergarten teachers will have to be trained and recruited and more money will also need to be expended to expand the buildings and cater for more children at kinder for longer periods of time. When the federal Labor government made this commitment, it was clear that delivering on this would demand significant investment and a suitably long lead time to assist providers to implement the additional hours of teaching. All up, the federal government is delivering over $900 million over five years to all the states and territories through to 2012-13 to implement the universal access commitment. As I said, this is the first time the federal government has substantially funded early childhood education, and that is a great result. The share of this national funding going to Victorian kindergartens and preschools over the full five years is $210,626,000. That is a great investment from when previously there was almost nothing.

I understand that Victoria has already received about $71 million of this funding with a further $29½ million due in early December. I took the liberty of going through the original COAG agreement to find the payment schedule and to see when the money does come across. I find it interesting that even though the Commonwealth has put more money in, the state government has stood back or has been able to point the finger elsewhere and say, 'But it is not us. We need more and even though we have money and it is coming in, it is not enough.'

Although Victoria does have a particularly good program of three-year-old kinders, in many cases they have always operated as an adjunct to four-year-old kinders and, I would say, with money from the Commonwealth and investment from the state there should be enough to go around. It does not seem to be the case at the moment. I find that quite frustrating because I do not know where this federal funding is going to in Victoria. I cannot go out into my electorate and see where it is going as there is no badging, no signage, no acknowledgment of any federal money anywhere with kindergarten programs, whether they be for three- or four- or any years old. That is a particular issue when it comes to accountability of the state in spending federal money. It is something that every member in this place should also be well aware of. If we do the hard work here and collect money, pass bills and then expend money, if that is passed over to the states then we should know what we are getting for our dollars. The general public should have a right to know and demand that information.

The previous state Labor government announced and allocated $4.6 million for use in expanding some kindergartens across the state. It is expected that all these capital works will be completed by 2012. But as part of its commitment to support the expansion of universal access, the previous Victorian government—a Labor government—increased funding to the sector. Indeed, in 2010 the state Labor government at the time committed to spend more than $82.6 million over the next five years to support the expansion of places, $63 million of which would have been spent boosting state government funded kindergarten places from 62,500 to 66,090. I am sure that more are needed but it is always good to start on a problem rather than wait until it is overwhelming.

Emma King, the CEO of Kindergarten Parents Victoria applauded the previous Labor government's investment in the early years education. She said:

This comprehensive package will help ensure that all Victorian children have access to a quality kindergarten program in the year before school.

And then, after all this investment by Labor state and federal governments, what does the Victorian Liberal state government do? In the first budget of the Baillieu Liberal government there were substantial cuts, not directly to core funding but to programs around core funding to kindergartens and pre-schools, ending the free internet service provided to the state's 1,800 community-run kindergartens. The state government IT support for these community kindergartens is important and includes internet connectivity, help desk and remote technology assistance.

There were also cuts to occasional childcare services out of 220 neighbourhood houses across the state. That leaves a gap in the provision of other childhood services in Victoria. Other cuts were made to the Young Readers program, which distributed free books to children on their second birthday and also cut the books-for-babies services. The $2.1 million program distributed 70,000 books and a further 70,000 reading-to-baby manuals over four years. The loss of the Young Readers Program dismayed picture book author Jeanette Rowe, who was the program's ambassador last year. She said:

It invited mothers to start with their children at a very early age to create that habit of reading.

The literacy sessions run by maternal and child health nurses 'weren't just about reading' said Lisa Fitzpatrick, the state secretary of the Australian Nurses Federation. She said:

It was an opportunity to assess a child's vision and their hearing. It wasn't just handing out a book.

It should be underlined that, in a period when it has been estimated by the Municipal of Association of Victoria that Victoria will need an additional 400 kindergarten teachers, the state government ended its funding of retraining for early childhood workers required to upgrade their qualifications. I find it disappointing that the Liberal Party have not taken full advantage in expanding the number of hours in kindergarten education for Victorian preschoolers. It is estimated by research that every dollar spent on early childhood education gives the community a gain of $3 in return. Australia has been one of the lowest spenders on early-years education, and this reform is turning that around, with federal funding.

The original timetable for implementation included an extended five-year period, agreed to by the federal government and all the states and territories at COAG. The federal government, after discussions with state and territory governments, agreed to fund additional training of kindergarten teachers and the early-childhood workforce, with $126 million over four years, to train and retrain the professional early-childhood education and care workforce.

What this really comes down to is: where is the Commonwealth's money? Where is our investment? Fifty-nine million dollars went this year to Victoria, and yet what we hear from the member for Aston is, 'Oh, but there's no money for places.' Well, I say that there is money for places, and I say there is more money coming from the Commonwealth next year. But I say to everyone in this House that we, the members of parliament, should know where this federal money is going. I think it is only right and proper. And as long as there are groups out there calling for more, it is always worth remembering what we do with what we already have.

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