Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Bowman for his question. Of course, this week the coalition passed the most substantial reforms to child care in decades. One million Australian families will benefit; 230,000 Australian families will be able to increase their participation in the workforce; and low- and middle-income families will benefit the most. The greatest hours of support go to the families who work the longest hours, and the greatest financial support goes to the families who earn the least.

In the member for Bowman's electorate there are 8,000 families, as he knows, that utilise child care. Just to see the impact of this on the ground, let us look at an average working family in your electorate earning, say, $80,000 a year. Dad is in a trade and Mum is a part-time nurse, with two children aged two and four. That family, under this plan, this reform, will still receive $5,500 in family tax benefits—completely tax free; they do not lose a dollar there. But now that family will receive an extra $3,424 a year to assist with their child care.

I am asked if there are any alternatives. The Labor alternative is to oppose the $1.6 billion worth of investment in child care. Make no mistake: extraordinarily, that is exactly what Labor did this week. They opposed investing $1.6 billion in child care. Instead, they supported maintaining the complicated inflationary system that they limped along with and that Australian families limped along with for six terrible years without any real form. At the same time that they opposed better child care for Australian families, when the media cameras were rolling in the caucus room, this is what the Leader of the Opposition said: 'The clear message we'll be sending to the people, to working and middle class families, is: we've got your back.' The same week they oppose investing $1.6 billion in child care, they tell Australian families they have got their back. Give us a break!

Forgive us for thinking that Australian families are not feeling the warm cloak of comfort at the claim that the Leader of the Opposition has got their back. Give us a break. You can insert the name here: 'I've got your back, Clean Event workers. I've got your back, Chiquita mushroom workers. I've got your back, Winslow construction workers. I've got your back, the member for Fenner. I mean, I've got your back, hardworking Australian families who need better child care to keep that second job and get themselves ahead.' There is one thing I have got to say that you should absolutely do if the Leader of the Opposition says he has got your back, and that is keep looking over your shoulder.

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