Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

I too rise to take note of the Productivity Commission's report, A path to universal early childhood education and care, which has been tabled in the parliament and publicly released today. The coalition is currently making its way through the Productivity Commission's final report, which includes more than 56 recommendations and almost 1,000 pages of information, data and findings, and a response will be provided in due course. We note that the report highlights the achievements in the sector made under the previous coalition government, including the increase in early childhood education and care places by 50 per cent, the increase in the number of four-year-olds enrolled in ECEC to 90 per cent, and the increase in women's workforce participation.

I note with concern that the Albanese government has sat on this report for weeks, and, while releasing it today, has taken no position, despite it having been in the minister's drawer. It's no great surprise that the government is giving no indication of its position, because Minister Clare, as the overarching Minister for Education, has seen chaos in school funding on his watch. We have a school funding war underway in this country, courtesy of the Minister for Education, we have the university sector in meltdown and, of course, despite the fact that the government has had this report for a number of weeks, we have no insight into where the government is going on this.

What we do know is that Labor continues to talk the big game on child care, but the reality is that there are families who continue to miss out—there are many childcare deserts across this country—and many other families who are paying higher costs. That is because, despite the government's rhetoric, despite their memes and other slogans, despite their sloganeering, in the last 12 months out-of-pocket childcare costs have increased by 8.4 per cent. Labor's so-called $4.7 billion 'cheaper' childcare package has not only not delivered a single place for families without access to early learning; it has imposed greater out-of-pocket costs on families. When you think about what families are enduring at the moment, with the cost of everything going through the roof because of Labor's homegrown inflation, one of the highest of any advanced country in the world, it is no surprise that families have also been hit by increased out-of-pocket costs for child care.

As I said, there are no new places for regional Australians suffering from no access to child care, so it is an insult to parents that Labor continues to claim that families are better off under this government when so many families are struggling to make ends meet, including in relation to child care. Education costs across the board have gone up 11 per cent. Gas and electricity have gone through the roof, as have food and fuel. People are dreading going to their mailbox or their inbox and opening their bills. So many families dread how they can barely get food on the table, let alone how they are going to pay their bills.

I also want to raise that we have seen reports of centres increasing their fees by up to $30 a day. Despite the rhetoric from Labor on the so-called cheaper child care, this promised subsidy has been substantially eaten up by higher fees since last July. To families in regional, rural and remote Australia, I say once again: where is the Labor Party for all the families who are struggling to find one childcare place for one child? Of course, when you cannot find child care, you cannot work. Families in regional Australia did not have the same options. As I say, the Labor government, despite promising so much and talking the big talk, has delivered very little, and it's very regrettable that the government has so little to say, despite this report.