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

I thank the member for Cunningham for her question and would like to congratulate her on one year in this place. I know that the member for Cunningham, like all on this side of the House, is passionate about building a better future for Australian children.

A year ago Australians voted, and they voted for a government that puts Australian families first; a government that believes in giving every child the very best start in life; a government that believes in ensuring primary carers have a choice; a government that values our early childhood education workforce; and a government that recognises that the cost of early childhood education often puts it out of reach for far too many families. The Albanese Labor government is taking action, laying the foundations for a better future. From July, only a few more sleeps away, early childhood education and care will be more affordable for over 1.2 million families across Australia. That includes 265,000 families in rural and regional Australia. What does that mean? In practical terms, it means that a family earning $120,000 a year with one child in early learning will save about $1,700 a year. That's real money, that's real cost of living relief, and that makes a real difference to Australian families. These are vital reforms that will ensure children have access to high-quality, affordable early childhood education.

But we know that the work doesn't stop after just one year. We've also commenced an ACCC price inquiry and a Productivity Commission review into the broader early childhood education and care sector.

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