Ann Sudmalis (Gilmore, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

and nothing for their kids, and they did it while having a whole extra load of work. We will be asking that the childcare subsidy is only paid if the parent is working, training, studying or volunteering. Our families are desperate for good-quality, affordable child care and for hours that suit.

I would like to visit the problem as stated earlier regarding our Indigenous child care. Some of our centres have been charging a full day for a child who is only in attendance for four hours, then coming to me and saying it is not enough. Well, I agree; spread those hours over the week. Then they say that they do not meet the requirement. But they are teaching those young Indigenous mums parenting skills and literacy; they are making sure the cultural heritage goes through with their children. Not once have they realised that that is training—that that enables those young mums to still get that childcare payment. The operating business model needs to be looked at. They need to make sure they understand exactly what they are doing, talk to the TAFE and get a registered training organisation in association with them, so that these beautiful Indigenous mums will qualify for the full subsidy and keep the facilities open.

This government is truly dedicated to promoting early education, helping with Indigenous childcare centres, helping our single mums get back to work and helping our families who really have not a scrap's worth of education and are trying to better themselves. We are determined that there are opportunities to make a difference in our communities, and this is the way to do it: have well-capped childcare fees; set a benchmark so that the childcare facilities do not keep raising the fees; encourage our Indigenous facilities to say, 'You know what? We're doing a great job. We're training these mums. We've got parenting skills. We've got mums-and-bubs skills. We are looking at cultural diversity.' We can do this. But we need to work together. Both sides of this House need to realise that money does not grow on the fairy tree. We have to balance this out and be reasonable.

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