Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you again, Senator Green. I'm pleased to say that over 1.2 million families in Australia will benefit from the changes to the childcare subsidy. But I do want to take the time to draw attention to two groups that we know will particularly benefit from the changes, the first being Australian women, who we know are often primary carers. We know that the high costs for early learning act as a massive disincentive for women to get back into the workforce, and our changes will give Australian women more choice. Having more women in the workforce will make a real difference for our economy, as well as empowering them and making a difference to families.

The second group that will benefit from this in particular are First Nations children and families. Our changes will introduce a base level of 36 subsidised hours of early learning per fortnight for First Nations children, regardless of activity. This will build on our government's commitment to closing the gap and ensure that First Nations children get the best start in life. As many as 6,000 First Nations families will benefit from these changes, in addition to the many other Australian families who will too. (Time expired)