Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

I thank those members who spoke on the Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Building on the Child Care Package) Bill 2019. The bill makes some important refinements to the operation of the government's childcare package that was implemented on 2 July 2018. It is clear that the government is delivering on its goal to create a more affordable, accessible and flexible childcare system. With this bill, we will also be making it easier for families and providers to use the childcare subsidy.

Since last July, the government has proactively engaged with the industry and continued to listen to feedback from families and the childcare sector on what aspects of the childcare package have worked well, their concerns and what we could improve. I wish to thank the stakeholders for their continued and positive engagement with us. The key measures contained in this bill reflect feedback from families and childcare providers and will benefit them by making life easier by: extending the time frame for enrolments to be ceased due to a child's non-attendance at a service from eight to 14 weeks, reducing regulatory burden; providing more options for providers to deliver services by removing the limit on the number of children childcare providers can certify as being at risk of serious abuse or neglect to receive a higher rate of subsidy under the additional childcare subsidy, enabling services to be more responsive in assisting vulnerable and disadvantaged children in accessing child care; supporting families who have the most to gain by establishing the capacity for a small number of targeted payments made by third parties to be used in combination with the childcare subsidy to ensure cost is not a barrier to vulnerable and disadvantaged families accessing early learning and child care; supporting families with affordability by enabling parents to receive subsidies when their children are ill and cannot attend scheduled care at the start or end of an enrolment; and making life easier for families with a number of other refinements, corrections and consequential amendments to bring clarity to policy intent and achieve closer alignment with related state and territory laws.

I note that the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee recommended that the Senate pass the bill and recognise that the measures in this bill will enable families to more easily participate in paid work by making child care more accessible, affordable and responsive to the needs of families and their circumstances. I also thank those who made submissions to the committee for their valuable feedback, and I thank colleagues who have spoken with me directly.

I welcome the broad support for the measures in this bill and note suggested changes in relation to one measure in particular. As such, I will be moving a government amendment to allow individuals to request to give their or their partner's tax file number up to 28 days after making a childcare subsidy claim in special circumstances, and to obtain an indefinite exemption to providing their partner's tax file number in special circumstances. This amendment will benefit families by enabling the government to more appropriately respond to their individual circumstances and help them access a childcare subsidy earlier. For example, this may include those who are escaping domestic violence; are homeless, hospitalised or otherwise incapacitated; have recently been released from prison or psychiatric confinement; are affected by a recent death in the family; have lost their homes due to fire or floods; who do not have access to their tax file number due to their or their partner's location; or are experiencing other circumstances beyond their control that affect their ability to provide their or their partner's tax file number.

If this amendment is passed, the changes in this bill will make life easier for families and childcare providers; support vulnerable and disadvantaged families' access to quality early learning and child care; and help parents access financial assistance to support their participation in the workforce. I thank members for their contributions to the key debate on important refinements to the operation of the government's childcare package. I commend the bill.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Message from the Governor-General recommending appropriation announced.

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