Mal Brough (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Minister for Education. Minister, what action will the government take to ensure that childcare workers are treated equitably following the release of the PricewaterhouseCoopers report into the Early Years Quality Fund?

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a pleasure to take a question from the member for Fisher, a previous childcare minister in this place, who would be horrified, after reading the report that I have just tabled in question time, at the behaviour of the Labor Party with respect to the hardworking educators of this country.

We have a better plan and, importantly, I want to mention some aspects of our plan. Our plan is to professionally develop the entire childcare sector and to use the funds that Labor had allocated to its slush fund in order to do exactly that. It is really important that we recognise that $30 million of our professional development fund will be allocated to vulnerable and disadvantaged children, children who are struggling to get a start in Australia today. I am proud of that.

But we do need to remind ourselves of some of the behaviour of unions in the creation of the Early Years Quality Fund. We did not have to look very far, because, very helpfully, the President of United Voice, Michael Crosby, appearing before a Senate committee some little while ago, in response to the question, 'Are you using this fund to sign up members to your union?' said:

Of course we are. We have signed up workers all the way through the … campaign.

…   …   …

Yes, it is true: we want to be a powerful union in this sector.

But what disturbed me and what is reflected in the report is this, and I want to quote a couple of examples:

Staff reported being told by union reps that unless they joined [the union] they wouldn't get … funding and they're letting down everyone else at their centre.

Peak bodies also reported that staff at member service providers were phoned at home late at night, causing 'distress, angst, and disruption within our workplaces'. There is evidence, clearly delineated in this report, that the requirement to have an enterprise agreement was used by United Voice to increase its membership.

The department advises that it monitored all media streams relevant to the Early Years Quality Fund and that the Big Steps Facebook page made several statements that staff needed to join the union in order to be eligible for funding. A couple of examples that I am also going to table include:

Unions are pushing their way into services using the threat of the fund to make us sign up - a tactic which our staff find appalling as the fund should be distributed evenly …

Also:

The union representative who came out insisted on speaking with every educator and telling them if they did not sign up on that day, they would cause our centre to miss out on the pay rise.

Who presided over this shambles? The shadow minister, the member for Adelaide: no leadership, no advice; just sat there, a puppet of the union movement, using something and pretending—and using a group of vulnerable workers to achieve—

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I raise a point of order. There were some reflections then on a member of parliament which should be withdrawn.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If you are thinking that the term 'puppet of the union movement' is a reflection on the member, then that is a matter that you have decided. However, to assist the House, I would ask the minister to withdraw.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, to assist the House, I do withdraw.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You've got it in one.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, on a point of order: it should not be the practice of this parliament that words required to be withdrawn are first repeated by the Speaker.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would remind the Manager of Opposition Business that if I wish to repeat the words I will do so.