Anne Aly (Cowan, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Early Childhood Education) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Bendigo for her question and also take the time to acknowledge her deep commitment to families and children in her electorate in Bendigo. I also thank the member for Bendigo for giving me this opportunity to speak about the Albanese Labor government's reforms to make early childhood education and care more affordable. These will make a real and tangible difference for families right across Australia—1.2 million families, as a matter of fact, including 265,000 families in rural and regional Australia. It is responsible cost-of-living relief that will reduce pressures on family budgets, support greater workforce participation and, importantly, enable more children to get the absolute best start in life in those critical first five years, when 90 per cent of brain development occurs.

I can't count on two hands the number of people who have stopped me or who have written to me to demonstrate their gratitude to the Albanese Labor government for these reforms. They have said that this is not just going to give them relief for their household budgets but it's also going to open up opportunities for them and give them options, whether those options are taking on more hours at work, returning to work or, indeed, taking on further study. But we know that there is more to do, and that's why we have the ACCC review of pricing in the early childhood education sector, as well as the Productivity Commission report exploring future options for early childhood education and care.

We also know that a quality early childhood education and care sector that will deliver for our children requires a stable and supported workforce. In an earlier answer, the Prime Minister mentioned a visit to Swinburne University and Swinburne TAFE that we did last Friday. He mentioned that we met with some students there who were taking up our fee-free TAFE places in early childhood education and care. Two of them, Tiana and Connor, spoke to us about why they were choosing early childhood education and care. They said that it was their passion for children and their interest in child development that led them down this career pathway. Indeed, that's reflective of all people who choose early childhood education and care as a career pathway. On this side of the House, we acknowledge them. We recognise them for the professionals that they are and for the important work that they do in educating our youngest Australians. We will deliver for families and we will deliver for the sector, continuing to work with them on addressing the issues and on fee relief for families in less than 100 days. (Time expired)

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