Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration) Share this | Hansard source

Absolutely, Mr Deputy President. I withdraw the statement in relation to grubbiness. But I will say that they are hypocrites. By their very actions in accepting the largest political donation of all time—the $1.6 million that they accepted from Mr Graeme Wood—they are well and truly able to be described as hypocrites. In fact, some may say, in relation to those people who speak with forked tongue and stand up in this place and say one thing and then do another, that those actions are grubby little actions.

But in relation to this particular bill, which the Greens are joining with Labor today to support, this is probably one of the greatest travesties of justice that is ever to go through this place. By this bill, Labor and their little friends the Greens are throwing a few crumbs at the lowest-paid workers in Australia and they are acting as if those few crumbs are gold. When you read the details of this legislation, it becomes apparent that the Early Years Quality Fund Special Account Bill is nothing more and nothing less than a con.

The United Voice union was having trouble signing up members, so what did it do? It went to its union mates in the government and said, 'We need some money', and a deal was done to give United Voice what is in effect $300 million, which they will have access to through this fund. And then what did United Voice do? They went on a membership drive, and do you know what they said? They blatantly misled the lowest-paid workers in Australia—those who work in the child-care industry—and they sent out the following propaganda. They sent out a document that stated: 'How does my centre qualify for the money that they can get under the fund? This is how you qualify: you join United Voice.' Well, no, actually—you do not need to join United Voice to get access to this fund. United Voice then negotiates a new EBA, because—guess what? One of the conditions of this fund is that the childcare centre has to have an EBA. And guess what? Only 20 per cent of childcare centres in Australia have an EBA—knocking out, overnight, 80 per cent of childcare centres in Australia. They automatically do not qualify for this fund unless United Voice negotiates an EBA on their behalf. They then say the owner-operator signs an agreement with the government. And guess what the end process is? You get a raise. That is blatantly misleading the lowest-paid workers in Australia. The Labor Party and their little friends in the Green movement know full well that less than 40 per cent of those in the childcare sector will get any share of these funds—less than 40 per cent.

So when they stand up in this place and they say that they are getting a raise for the lowest-paid workers in Australia and they have the audacity to then send out propaganda to those workers indicating that they will all get a raise, that is an absolute disgrace. It shows just how low those on the other side will go to blatantly mislead those vulnerable people in the childcare sector who actually believed that this legislation was going to give them a pay rise. That is completely, totally and utterly incorrect. There is only $300 million going into this fund. There are exceptionally strict guidelines under which a childcare centre in Australia can apply for the funds—which automatically, in relation to the EBA, knocks out over 80 per cent of childcare centres in Australia.

But worse than that even the former minister—the minister had to resign because he could not serve under the current Prime Minister, Mr Rudd—Minister Garrett claimed that 68,000 people may or may not be entitled to the pay rise. Media reports say that it is closer to a workforce of 78,000. But guess what? When at estimates we asked the department how many childcare workers in Australia would potentially qualify for these funds, do you know what the department said? They said, 'We actually don't know.' But they could confirm one thing: they could confirm that 40 per cent or fewer of the childcare sector will qualify for the funds. Do you know what is even worse?

Senator Lines interjecting—