Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Supply and demand are very basic economic concepts, and clearly concepts that those opposite, including the Prime Minister and the Treasurer, don't understand. If you increase supply and demand stays the same, prices will come down. But, in over two years of this government, we've not seen one policy initiative to increase supply in the early childcare sector. All of their initiatives have been aimed at reducing prices by providing wage subsidies. I understand that, in and of themselves, they have a role to play, but only if you increase supply, because if there is only a fixed amount of places then guess what? Prices go up. That's economics 101.

A constituent in my electorate, Carly from Mooroolbark, recently contacted me about this issue, and this is what she had to say: 'The cost of day care is absurd. They've just announced they are increasing it again. My child goes two days per week, and it's now going from $149 per day to $159.50 per day, of which we are subsidised 50 per cent—no change from Labor's supposed cheaper child care.' Another family in my community has gone from paying $162 per day to paying $175 per day after the increase in the subsidy last year. Another family has had a $13 a day increase, from $129 to $142 a day. I could sit here all day and use examples from my community, or any community across the country, of prices going up despite what the government promised.

The reason they can't deliver cheaper child care is that they're not investing in supply. They're now going to subsidise wages, but they're not prepared to commit to a long-term plan. As the member for Moncrieff said—and I commend her for this motion—the government have committed to this for two years, but, after two years, who's going to pay for it? The people that need the child care. The government have also capped price rises at 4.4 per cent over the next 12 months. So they're capping the increases that our childcare centres can have at a time when the cost of food for young children is going up, the cost of energy at the centres is going up and wages are obviously going up. If they've taken out a loan at that site, their interest rates are going up. So every cost is going up, and the government are saying that 4.4 per cent is all they can increase fees by if they want to get access to this subsidy. The government don't have any real plans to address the cause. It's all about treating the symptoms. It's bandaid solutions that make it worse.

Child care is an essential part of life. We need to continue to invest in it. I was lucky to recently visit Hansen Park Pre School in my community, and I want to thank Amy and the parents and friends committee there but also the educators for the work they do. Prior to my entering politics, my wife, Rachel, was the president of our local preschool, where my children went, and I've seen firsthand the amazing volunteers who put in so much for the community to make sure that children can get the early childhood education and support they need. But, again, they're being let down by this government. They're being let down because there's no investment in supply. You can talk about price, and that is important, but it doesn't help those who cannot find a place. In my community, we are definitely a childcare desert. There are currently nine million Australians who are living in a childcare desert, with little or no access to early learning education.

The member for Moncrieff came to my electorate, and we met with Belinda and the team at Mums of the Hills. We talked to many of the parents who are having to put their children on waitlists as soon as they are born and having to pay a fee, in many cases, just to get onto a waitlist. For every 15 parents who are trying to get into child care, there is one place available in my community. And what do we hear from the government about addressing these deserts in my community and many regional and peri-urban communities? Nothing. For two years, we have heard nothing from this government on how they are going to increase childcare places. It's very easy to talk about a subsidy, but it doesn't help if you can't get a place. That's why, again, this government has the wrong priorities. They're not addressing the cause of these issues; they're addressing the symptoms. That's why, after two years, there is not one Australian who is better off.

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