Ann Sudmalis (Gilmore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Minister for Education. Will the minister update the House on the progress of the government's $200 million professional development program for long day care workers? How does this government's approach to professional development differ from previous approaches?

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 my friend the member for Gilmore. I am happy to announce that this week money will start to flow under the Abbott government's Long Day Care Professional Development Program, the largest ever investment in the professional development of our childcare sector. Importantly—

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

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I understand during the answer the minister has just referred to the fact that she is making a policy announcement, which is appropriate for a ministerial statement but not appropriate for question time.

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

The Manager of Opposition Business is quite correct in saying that question time is not a time for the announcement of policy. Is the assistant minister announcing policy? On the basis that the assistant minister assures me that this is not the announcement of new policy, she has the call.

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

Thank you Madam Speaker. If the Labor Party were paying attention, they would remember that this was something we announced some months ago and that I am simply making it clear that this week money is starting to flow under a previously announced policy. Really, that is quite straightforward.

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

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

The member for Isaacs has been warned. One more utterance and he will leave. The choice is his. The assistant minister has the call and we will have silence for the answer.

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

I understand why the Labor Party wants to inject this note of confusion because this policy replaces its own Early Years Quality Fund, which it remembers well. It should certainly know that the Early Years Quality Fund, which was the—

Mr Danby interjecting—

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

The member for Melbourne Ports will desist. The minister has the call.

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

Under the Early Years Quality Fund, $200 million was allocated for just a small proportion of the early childhood sector. When we came to government, we commissioned an independent report which found that that fund was used as a vehicle for union recruitment. Ministers on the Labor Party front bench should remember well that the effort they made to secure deals for their mates in United Voice, the union, was shameful. It was revealed as such by investigation after investigation and the Auditor-General is undergoing an investigation at the moment.

For this fund, no union card will be required and every educator in the long day care sector, more than 50,000, will be able to benefit. Applications are in, as I said, and money is going to start to flow in this largest ever investment. But really, Labor should be reminded of the flaws of its Early Years Quality Fund, the process where the member for Adelaide announced the fund and 13 hours later the fund closed, but applications were still accepted. This fund was about increasing union membership. EBAs quadrupled and union membership tripled, but did union members benefit? No, they did not. Only 15 per cent of the childcare workforce ever could have received a dollar under Labor's fund. We are putting the matter to right and more than 50,000 educators across the country will start to benefit.