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

I thank the amazing member for Bendigo not just for her question but also for her continued advocacy and her tireless support for the early childhood education and care sector. Early childhood educators and workers deserve a wage that reflects their professionalism, their qualifications, and the quality of education and care that they provide, and that recognises the valuable contributions they make to our economy and, importantly, to the wellbeing of Australia's children.

Today, as the Prime Minister and minister have pointed out, we are joined in the gallery by some early childhood educators. On Thursday, when the Prime Minister announced a 15 per cent increase in the wages for early childhood workers, there were tears of joy and tears of relief. That's because early childhood workers have, for too long, asked something very simple: they've asked to be valued. They've asked to be recognised by the government, just as they are by the parents who entrust them with the care and education of their children. That is not a big ask at all. Paige, a passionate educator, hit the nail on the head when she said: 'It's so great to have a female led industry actually being recognised as having real qualifications and actually being more than just babysitters We are educators who help develop children, and the first five years are so crucial for them, so it's actually nice to be recognised for what we are trying to do.' They are the words of Paige. This is good policy. It's good for the 200,000 workers who will get a pay rise of at least $100 a week before the end of the year, it's good for the 1.2 million parents and families who will be assured that fee increases are capped, it's good for the economy and it's good for children. It really is a no-brainer.

But I'm asked about other approaches. The only other approach is that coming from the opposition, who have refused to back this in, who have refused to denounce the comments made by the captain's pick senator and who, in a media release, alluded to this as somehow undermining the Australian way of life. Well, I would like to see those opposite turn around, look the workers in the eye and explain to them why they think they don't deserve a pay rise and what they mean when they refer to an Australian way of life. The opposition want to make this all about ideology so that they can continue to denigrate and ignore the importance of the contribution that our early childhood educators and teachers make to child wellbeing.

I'll finish with the words of Lisa, who said, 'I can stay in the job I love, and that is going to change a lot of lives, not just my own.' (Time expired)

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