Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I don't know how many times I've stood in this chamber and spoken about the need for additional childcare services in Kingston South East in my electorate. It's got to be a few times, but I'm here again. I wish I wasn't, but I am. Let's recap: this is a community that for over half a century has been crying out for additional childcare places, with significant waiting lists. They formed a working party in 2019 and called in 2019 to work with me. After deciding the only way to solve the problem was to work with a purpose-built facility, the coalition pledged $1.8 million for the cause should we win government. To their credit, Labor matched the pledge, just before the election, on ABC Radio. Then, crickets.

The community, who have seen children go without child care, grow up and have children of their own—who are also now going without child care—were made to wait five months for reassurance that the money was still there. Then we had the newly minted minister Anne Aly on ABC South East radio the day following the budget, reassuring the community that there was $1.8 million dedicated in the budget to the Kingston community for childcare places. But then, crickets!

The budget was a month ago. The original pledge was six months ago. We still don't know where the money is coming from. No-one has contacted the Kingston District Council directly. No-one from the department has followed up with them. They haven't received a quick email or a phone call from the minister or the minister's office—not even a press release. They're told before the election that Labor will match the coalition's commitment, they hear nothing for six months, then we have a budget: there's no mention on the night, but, the following day, Anne Aly has the time to contact journalists at ABC South East to confirm the budget is good for Kingston child care and there's $1.8 million in the budget. But that was a month ago. No-one, not the CEO and not the leader of the working party, has heard boo since. This speaks of a government that's focused on the theoretical but can't get the trains to run on time. Please, Minister Aly, pick up the phone or send an email to the people of the Kingston District Council. They want to hear from you.