Laura Smyth (La Trobe, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. As I was remarking, this is hot on the heels of the Victorian government's handling of Take a Break services funding. Despite the Commonwealth government providing record funding for early education and care, the Victorian government tried to say that the decision to de-fund Take a Break services was out of its control.

The facts are: the Brumby government had funded Take a Break services for several years, the federal government had provided record funding for early childhood education and care and the decision to de-fund Take a Break services was a unilateral decision of the Victorian government, based on its priorities and it policy dictates. But the opposition would have anyone who will listen believe that its hands are tied. We are seeing the same kind of sham here. The Victorian government says one thing on its department website—it knows what its responsibilities are under the national partnership agreement—yet it sends in federal coalition MPs to pretend it has no say in the way that services—

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