Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McKenzie for her question and for her work as chair of that committee and, indeed, her work on that report, as in all education areas. The childcare reforms of the Turnbull government are an important and critical workforce participation measure. They are part of our economic reforms, particularly in the way in which they help to support families who need child care most to get the greatest support—those who work the hardest to get the greatest number of hours of child care—whilst also supporting a strong early learning system. What this government recognises is that we need to—and the report of Senator McKenzie's committee recognises this—deliver funding under our reforms to those who are working, training, studying, volunteering or looking for work. We ensure that those families who require child care due to work schedules are the prime intended beneficiaries of government subsidies. There are important recommendations and findings of the majority report, which highlights that current childcare structures create a situation where taxpayers and families are often paying for childcare services that are not needed or not used—money of families that is going to waste; taxpayers' money that is going to waste. We better target the support.

The report rightly highlights some of the positive comments in relation to our childcare reforms. The Australian Childcare Alliance said that it 'recognises the many positive aspects of this package', particularly 'the increased threshold from $7,500 to $10,000 for middle-income families'. In fact, we are supporting families all the way up to $185,000 in income to be able to get that increase in childcare support, to pay the bills of their child care, to help them in their workforce participation and to help them access early learning opportunities. It is important that we recognise that around one million Australian families will benefit as a result of these reforms, warmly endorsed by Senator McKenzie and her committee. (Time expired)