Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leah is a member of my local community and a proud early childhood educator, and she has been so for over 31 years. Leah understands how precious the early years of a child's life are to the development of the adult who emerges thereafter. Leah does it because she's passionate about making a difference in the lives of others, like so many other teachers who are here today.

Sadly, this out-of-touch Turnbull government does not share Leah's passion for early education. Rather than investing in the 108,000 early childhood educators in Australia, the prince of Point Piper would rather sit idle and undermine these critical years in a child's development. Metalworkers with a certificate III qualification are paid about $40 an hour—which is, of course, thoroughly deserved. In contrast, early childhood educators are paid as little as $21 an hour despite also having a certificate III qualification or even a bachelor's degree. Perhaps it is telling that 97 per cent of them are women.

Today, early childhood educators across Australia are bravely taking a stand to protest against the gross underpayment of this highly skilled and vital role in our community. As part of the United Voice Big Steps campaign, educators will walk off the job. In doing so they are taking a stand for fair and equal pay. Labor stands united with women in the pursuit of fair pay, and Labor stands united with the early education seconder too. If we're not prepared to pay our educators what they deserve then the future is bleak. We'll continue to lose quality educators with enormous passion for our kids— (Time expired)