Steph Hodgins-May (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move part (a) of the amendment standing in Senator McKim's name that has been circulated in the chamber:

Omit "be referred immediately to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 21 March 2025", substitute "not be referred to a committee".

The Greens do not support referring the three-day guarantee bill, a bill to remove the childcare subsidy activity test for three days a week, to an inquiry with a report date in March, and, if Labor are serious about their own legislation, they should support our amendment. By pushing off this bill, Labor and the coalition will be betraying families and children right across this country. The Greens will be moving to block this bill from going to inquiry, because we already have the expert evidence. The Productivity Commission has told us that the activity test is punitive and needs to go.

While this bill doesn't completely abolish the activity test, it is a first step that stakeholders and families have been hanging out for after Labor said just this week that they wanted to pass it in this term of parliament and in the next fortnight. We said straightaway: 'We are ready to go. We are ready to work with you. We are ready to get those disadvantaged kids into early education.' We want to see these reforms through the parliament before the end of the February sitting period. We urge Labor: honour your commitment to removing the childcare activity test and to universal child care.

The childcare subsidy test is a Morrison-era relic that unfairly punishes families from the most disadvantaged backgrounds in this country. It locks 126,000 kids out of early education and keeps about 40,000 parents out of work, and we know that those are predominantly women. Parents, families and dozens of organisations, including the Business Council of Australia, have called for the childcare activity test to be abolished. The Productivity Commission and the ACCC both recommended that the test be removed because of its disproportionate impact on First Nations children and kids experiencing disadvantage. Do it today. Come on. Abolishing the childcare subsidy test is a crucial step towards universal education, which the Labor Party tell us that they are committed to. Well, here's a test for you.

While this bill removes it for only three days per week, it is a welcome first step, and the Greens have said that from the outset. The Greens are ready to work with Labor. We're not only ready; we are urging you to work with us to get through in this term of parliament. Get it done this February. We want to see relief for parents and families right across this country delivered before the election. We want to see First Nations children guaranteed access to early childhood education, and it's not just us. The Labor government knows this, and that's why I truly hope that they will support our amendment.

But today implementation of this bill may be delayed by the bill being referred to inquiry if Labor votes against our motion. When we have had two government commissioned reports calling for this test to be removed, and years and years of evidence from parents, children and childcare providers about how punitive the childcare subsidy activity test is, why do we need another inquiry process? This is a completely unnecessary delay, and I appeal to you—the Australian Greens appeal to you—on behalf of families right across this country who are locked out of those crucial early years of education: support our amendment. Let's get this done. Let's get it done this fortnight. Come on, Labor.