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

If those members opposite who are interjecting would allow me to continue with my words, I will address their concerns in due course. The facts are that all state and territory governments, not just the federal government, agreed through COAG to provide access to kindergarten for all children by 2013. For the first time, as my colleague from Deakin mentioned earlier on, the Australian government is funding early childhood education. The federal government has committed over $955 million over five years to support the states and territories to enable them to achieve the goals which they have each committed to. Apparently these are mere details for those opposite, who choose not to take an interest in the substantial funding commitment which their government failed to put in place. The federal government has committed $955 million to achieve the goals which all the states and territories committed to under the National Partnership Agreement on Early Childhood Education. So far as flexibility is concerned, the manner in which the Victorian government meets the universal access commitment it signed up to is entirely up to it. That is the nature of the national partnership agreement. The Victorian government is responsible for implementing universal access, supported by the very significant financial contribution of the Commonwealth government. Indeed, the Victorian education department's own website reflects this. Under the heading 'Early Childhood Education National Partnership' and the subheading 'Funding' it notes:

The Australian Government has committed $970 million nationally over five years for this reform, including $210.6 million for Victoria. The Department is responsible for leading implementation of universal access to 15 hours of kindergarten.

Unequivocally, the Victorian education department has recognised quite publicly the responsibility of the Victorian coalition government for leading implementation. If our coalition colleagues here do not consider their own state colleagues to be up to that task then they are also admitting that the coalition simply is not up for governing the state of Victoria—a matter which so many of us are very happy to conclude—

Mr Danby interjecting—

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