Nick Xenophon (SA, Nick Xenophon Team) Share this | Hansard source

I indicate that I and my colleagues will not be supporting this, and I just want to address some of the matters raised by Senator Hanson-Young, my colleague. We made it very clear that we were particularly concerned that the Budget Based Funding program was not going to be funded and that that was going to cause serious issues, particularly as 80 per cent of services under this Budget Based Funding program supported over 19,000 Indigenous children in this country, in communities where the service could not be sustained on a market basis. As a result of the commitment from the government after we and others put that to the government, the $61.8 million under that program will be quarantined over forward estimates, and $48 million in addition to that would be an amount that these services for the most vulnerable Australians could be bid into, and in addition to that the childcare subsidies would apply. So that was a very significant concession for some of our most vulnerable Australians in remote and Indigenous communities around this country, and that is something that must be noted and put into context in relation to this.

Senator Hanson-Young raised a number of important points. She talked about people losing their jobs at Hazelwood in just over a week's time, at the power station, and people that will lose their jobs at General Motors Holden on 20 October this year; there is not that long to go. Can the minister indicate the basis on which those people who have lost their jobs will be able to access childcare services in addition to 12 hours per week. I know you have covered it, Minister, to some degree, but I think it is important to emphasise and expand on that. What are the criteria? I know there is a four-hour activity test, but could you indicate: where a parent may be suffering from depression, mental health issues, substance abuse or those sorts of issues, what assistance can be provided? Does the activity test apply? In other words, how broad is the category that people can apply for to get additional help beyond the 12 hours per week?