Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

We are doing that, particularly when it comes to regional Australia. The truth is that we did inherit a system that wasn't responding to the needs of regional and rural families when it comes to early childhood education and care. Through round 4 of the Community Child Care Fund we're providing around $80 million to over 430 early childhood education and care services supporting disadvantaged and vulnerable communities, including in regional and rural areas. Our reforms for cheaper child care are also making early learning cheaper for over one million families, including 265,000 families in regional Australia. Whether it be the funding that we're providing to centres through the Community Child Care Fund, paying workers in the sector the wage they deserve that makes it more attractive for them to stay in the sector, or providing greater fee relief for Australian families who need childcare services, we are doing everything we can, and we will keep investing to fix the problem.