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

It's not just cost that has proven a barrier for Australian families looking to find a placement for their child. Ensuring that there were enough workers to look after your child was also a struggle under the previous government. But, since we took office in May 2022, Australia's early childhood education and care sector has grown by more than 14,000 workers, with a further 123,000 additional educators and teachers in the training pipeline. The Albanese government are not only making early childhood education and care cheaper for families; we're actually delivering the workforce that the former government failed to deliver. The government's successful fee-free TAFE program is helping encourage people into the sector, with the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care being the most popular fee-free TAFE course. At the same time, the government's early childhood education workforce package is helping to retain the existing, highly skilled early learning workforce. We're delivering childcare relief and also the workforce— (Time expired)