Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Families and Community Services) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about the Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Child Care Budget and Other Measures) Bill 2008. One of the disturbing aspects of this bill and, in fact, much of the legislation that has been put forward by this government is the fact that it is subject to means testing. A means test, quite frankly, is a very mean test. Some people who went in to the previous election expecting to be able to benefit from particular election promises or the continuation of existing policies would have voted accordingly. They have been let down by what I regard as an uncaring and mean government. A means test is an example, in this particular bill, of a mean government because it is a secret test. It was a test that was sprung on the public subsequent to the election last year. It is pretty clear that the Rudd government won office under many false pretences. It took policies to the election and it failed to disclose the complete nature of the policies. It changed them immediately afterwards—we have had numerous examples of this.

To the members opposite, I repeat the words of Mr Abbott in the other place, ‘If a business went public with this policy without the secret fine print, the business would now be before the courts of this country for breach of contract,’ because the fine print has made an enormous difference to what is going on here.

The move to a 50 per cent rebate is certainly welcome. However, it is going to present hard-pressed operators of childcare services with an opportunity to increase their prices. I note the flamboyant rhetoric about using every means at the government’s disposal to prevent that from happening. However, when pressed, it just seems to be more smoke and mirrors and there is very little that the government can do to prevent it. The government maintains it has a mandate for this and so the opposition do not intend to oppose the aspect of the bill with regard to the 50 per cent out-of-pocket childcare costs. However, we are concerned about families who are going to have to pay increasing childcare fees, because we believe that operators will put their fees up in anticipation of the government’s future contribution in this regard. I shall leave my comments there.

Debate (on motion by Senator McLucas) adjourned.