Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Community Services) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for her question. When you are looking at the Treasury report it is very important to look at the fundamentals of the report. We have already had one question from the other side that claims that for some reason or other the Treasury was not in support of the government’s position on this matter, which we have shown is absolutely not the case. We now have a question that goes to some of the detail, particularly about the differential cost of child care in regional Australia and child care in urban Australia.

There is a fundamental about the equity in the way that this government has handled the allocation of child care. Rather than decide that we are going to provide child care in this location and in that location, provide this type and for this demographic, we decided that the people most likely to make the very best decision about a child’s future are its parents. It is for that reason that we have provided directly to the parents the childcare benefit—and, as I informed the Senate earlier today, that is an average of $2,000 per family—and, of course, the childcare tax rebate of up to $4,000 for out-of-pocket expenses for each child per year. That is actually how we provide it, because it provides flexibility and choice.

This is a government that is not about dictating to other people how to run their lives. We know that the families are best represented by those in the family hierarchy. They know what is best for their children. They know whether they want child care near work or near home, or after-school care or day care. It is all about choice. This government is very proud of its record because we have continued to look at what families need.