Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business, Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in support of the Take A Break occasional care funding program. I took to the steps of the Victorian Parliament House on Thursday during a protest against the federal government's cuts to the Take A Break occasional childcare program. There were concerned parents and families and the dedicated staff and volunteers that make occasional day care work. They were very concerned about the unilateral decision of the Gillard government to abandon its funding of this very important program. While millions are being spent by Canberra on new childcare laws and safety standards, not one cent—not a dime—is going into occasional care. The money is being ripped from the sector and being spent to administer and oversee new standards on long day care, preschool, family day care and out of school hours care.

I was particularly pleased to be able to speak with the state minister, Wendy Lovell, before I went out to talk on the steps of Parliament House. I was encouraged and excited about her assurance that, should the Gillard government change its mind and do the right thing by families who require occasional day care, the state government would follow suit and provide its share of the funding—a really positive message coming out of the Baillieu government. But what do we hear from the federal Labor government? Absolutely nothing. Now you would queue that scratchy sound of crickets in the background that lets you know that abso­lutely nothing is being said by this federal Labor government. Where is Kate Ellis? Does she not understand that this one size fits all logic, this tick a box approach to child care, just does not work for every family? Are those families that require occasional child care the new forgotten families under this Gillard Labor government? They certainly seem to be, and they were not very happy when they were on the steps of Parliament House.

It was particularly interesting to note the petitions that had been signed. The petitions were directed to the Legislative Assembly of the state parliament when they really should have been directed to the House of Representatives in the federal parliament. Kate Ellis must have been delighted, as the minister, that there was very little discussion until I had the opportunity to talk to the assembled crowd about what an appalling, neglectful and unhelpful decision the federal Labor government had made to cut $12 million in occasional care funding.

In addition to the assurances from Wendy Lovell that the state Liberal government would reinstate its funding when the federal Labor government reinstated the $12 million, there was more good news. I was able to share with those who were present that under Tony Abbott the coalition is committed to restoring the $12 million ripped out of occasional child care by federal Labor. There was a really positive response to that and a recognition that the federal coalition was prepared to make its contribution. We are prepared to make a contribution for a whole range of reasons. The provision of affordable, reliable, safe and available childcare facilities will always be a direct responsibility of the federal government.

We saw under the previous coalition government a recognition that family types and demands on families were quite varied and their needs were at times flexible, at times easy to predict and at other times difficult to respond to because of the complex nature of families and modern life. This is where occasional care comes in. I hope that the federal Labor minister hears the message—the message that there is no one size fits all requirement for child care in our country. If she needs any more reassurance and any more prompting to put back that money that has been ripped out—an action that made so many people unhappy on the steps of the state parliament last week—I would like to share with her some observ­ations from families in my own electorate. This is from one person who wrote to me:

I have been using the Occasional Care Facility at the Mornington Community Contact for 2 years with my eldest child ... This service has provided me with a small break each week of 3-5 hrs which I have found to be invaluable.

This mother goes on to describe that, with the demands of young children, this has allowed some time to recharge her energy and re-engage and be all that she hopes to be as the mother of her children. There is another example involving Mahogany Neighbourhood House in Frankston North. A parent says:

I began using occasional care in July 2010 when I left my position in government employment services to concentrate on my family.

She goes on to describe not only the important contribution that that break provi­ded for the wellbeing of her family but also the opportunity it gave her to re-engage in employment. The noise was strong and the message was clear on the steps of Parliament House in Victoria last Thursday—Kate Ellis, you need to put this money back. Occasional care matters to people. There is no one size fits all solution. (Time expired)

Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was loath to interrupt the member for Dunkley, but I commend to him the provisions of standing order 64, which require him to refer to the Minister for Employment Participation and Childcare and the Leader of the Opposition by their titles and not by their names.