Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

Under the Early Years Quality Fund, $200 million was allocated for just a small proportion of the early childhood sector. When we came to government, we commissioned an independent report which found that that fund was used as a vehicle for union recruitment. Ministers on the Labor Party front bench should remember well that the effort they made to secure deals for their mates in United Voice, the union, was shameful. It was revealed as such by investigation after investigation and the Auditor-General is undergoing an investigation at the moment.

For this fund, no union card will be required and every educator in the long day care sector, more than 50,000, will be able to benefit. Applications are in, as I said, and money is going to start to flow in this largest ever investment. But really, Labor should be reminded of the flaws of its Early Years Quality Fund, the process where the member for Adelaide announced the fund and 13 hours later the fund closed, but applications were still accepted. This fund was about increasing union membership. EBAs quadrupled and union membership tripled, but did union members benefit? No, they did not. Only 15 per cent of the childcare workforce ever could have received a dollar under Labor's fund. We are putting the matter to right and more than 50,000 educators across the country will start to benefit.

See this speech in context