Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education and Training, Senator Birmingham. Can the minister update the Senate on the implementation of the Turnbull government's childcare package and explain how Australian parents can prepare for the package?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Brockman, a father of three very young children, who has a very passionate interest in early childhood education and care, for his question. The Turnbull government is delivering the most comprehensive reforms of childcare support in Australian history and in doing so is helping to provide additional support to almost one million hardworking Australian families. Our reforms will ensure that those Australians who are working the longest hours receive the greatest number of hours of entitlement to childcare support and subsidy. Our reforms will ensure that those Australians who are earning the least amount of money from their hard work and toil receive the greatest level of subsidy and financial assistance for their childcare reforms. Our view is that childcare costs shouldn't dictate how long, how hard or how many hours or days a parent chooses to work; that we ought to empower that decision in Australian families; and, indeed, that our reforms will help to do so.

Let me give Senator Brockman and all senators some examples. For example, an Australian family earning $50,000 per annum, with two children in child care for a few days a week, will be an estimated $3,000 a year better off thanks to the Turnbull government's reforms. A family earning $94,000 per annum, similarly with two children in child care for two days a week, would be more than $1,500 a year better off. These are the hardest-working Australian families, doing their bit, and they will receive more assistance thanks to our reforms.

And we have made all of this information available to Australian families. I would urge any family interested in preparing next year for the implementation of our reforms to check the child care estimator on the Department of Education and Training's web site to see how it will benefit their families so they can make the work and family decisions that suit them for the year ahead.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Brockman, a supplementary question.

Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister explain which families will benefit most from the government's new childcare initiatives?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If you look across the country, it is unsurprisingly in the mortgage belt suburbs with the hardest-working families and the greatest number of young children that we see the greatest benefits. In Senator Brockman's home state, for example, around the electorates of Pearce or Burt, we see close to 6,000 families who are estimated to be better off in those communities. We spent some time talking about Queensland today. If you go across to Queensland and look at an electorate like Forde, taking in suburbs like Beenleigh, Loganholme or Eagleby, more than 8,000 families in those communities are estimated to be better off. For Senator Macdonald, up in Townsville, in the electorate of Herbert, around 7,000 Australian families will be better off thanks to the Turnbull government's reforms to provide more childcare assistance to those working the hardest and earning the least to make sure they can make the decisions that suit their families, to make sure they can access the care that is necessary to work the hours that suit them that they choose to do.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Brockman, final supplementary question.

Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister outline what would have happened to Australia's childcare system and the families who depend on it without this significant reform?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Without our comprehensive reforms, the $7½ thousand cap on the childcare rebate, which sees so many Australian families hit February or March of the financial year and just run out of support, would have stayed in place. What happens? Those families choose to work fewer days because they can't afford the childcare bills. They choose to forgo the opportunities of employment. That's what we're bringing to an end, empowering that choice in those families. We're equally putting in place pricing mechanisms that will keep a downward lid on fee growth in the future, helping both families and taxpayers with what have been runaway costs in childcare fees.

It's remarkable, though, that those opposite across the Labor Party chose to vote against the Turnbull government's reforms, which are helping almost one million Australian families with additional support—the lowest-income families with the greatest support. The Leader of the Opposition voted against some 4,800 families in his own electorate who will be better off as a result of these reforms, as did each and every one of those members opposite. But the Turnbull government is proud and determined to deliver families the support they need.