Alison Byrnes (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Early Childhood Education. How is the Albanese Labor government helping to ease cost-of-living pressures for early childhood education and care workers?

Anne Aly (Cowan, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Early Childhood Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Cunningham for her question. It wasn't that long ago that I was in Cunningham with the member where we visited KidsUni at the University of Wollongong. Whenever we visit early childhood education centres, whether it's in Swan, Reid, Bendigo, Robertson or Boothby, it's a great opportunity to interact with early childhood education workers and with the children and to see firsthand the vital job that early childhood educators do in supporting and educating our children's early learning and development in those very first five years of a child's life when 95 per cent of their brain development is occurring. They also make it possible for millions of Australians to do their jobs, take on extra hours or to take on extra study or volunteer work, if they so wish.

That's why we are recognising the value of the work done by early childhood education workers and helping to ease the cost-of-living pressures for them by getting wages up, through an historic 15 per cent wage rise. That's because we know that, if we are to achieve the vision of universal early learning for every child right across Australia, we have to start with a strong, sustainable workforce. I'm pleased to say that early learning providers can now apply for the government funding to deliver this historic pay rise to early childhood education workers.

What this pay rise means is that 200,000 early childhood workers right across Australia will have at least $100 a week more in their pay packets just in time for Christmas. By the end of next year, that's going to be more than $150 extra in their pay packet. Gemma, a passionate educator from Melbourne said this is what it means to her: 'It means we are acknowledged for the work that we do day in, day out. It means we can stay in our jobs and not live pay cheque to pay cheque, and it means we can build that strong and stable early learning workforce that we need.' Lisa, another educator from New South Wales, said these words to me: 'This is monumental—a history-making moment. It means I can stay in the job I love. I know it's going to change a lot of lives and not just my own.'

Along with our government's tax cuts, early learning workers will now be able to earn more and keep more of what they earn. The Albanese Labor government is delivering real cost-of-living relief for Australian workers and for their household budgets.