Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Early Childhood Education, Senator Watt. We know that quality early childhood education and care can transform a child's life, yet the ACCC has found that, under the former government, early childhood education and care costs went up by twice as much as the OECD average between 2018 and 2022. With cost-of-living pressures front of mind for many Australians, what action is the Albanese government taking to ensure early childhood education and care is more affordable for Australian children and their families now?

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

I'm surprised that opposition members don't want to hear about cost-of-living relief for Australian families, but I guess they have voted against every other form of cost-of-living relief we've provided. I guess they've kept on voting against cost-of-living relief. But, unlike the opposition, Senator O'Neill and our colleagues are concerned about cost-of-living relief. It's an amazing statistic, isn't it, Senator O'Neill, that, under the former government, childcare costs went up by twice as much as the OECD average between 2018 and 2022? The Albanese government knows very well that Australian families are facing cost-of-living pressures across the board, whether that's in housing, energy, health care or child care. That's why, for our entire time in office, we've been delivering genuine cost-of-living relief, unfortunately so often opposed by those opposite. As Minister Gallagher has previously said, the Albanese government is rolling out measures to reduce the impact of cost-of-living increases, particularly when it comes to making early childhood education more affordable. The simple fact is that, under the previous government, early childhood education fees increased by around 49 per cent. These steep increases, overseen by the coalition, only served as a barrier for families to find places for their kids in centres. By contrast, the Albanese government know that our more affordable early learning plan is not just a social reform; it is an integral economic reform—one that is driving increased workforce participation, particularly for women, and enabling skilled workers to return to the workforce. More affordable early childhood education and care means that more Australian children can access the transformational health and education benefits of foundation-years learning, no matter what their postcode or background is. More affordable early childhood education and care is a win-win for Australian families, delivering cost-of-living relief while also making it easier to increase household income. The government is taking the next steps in building the world-class, affordable early childhood education system that Australian parents expect and Australian kids deserve.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator O'Neill, your first supplementary?

Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Around 1.2 million Australian families right across Australia are now eligible for the government's increased childcare subsidy. What benefit is the new subsidy rate delivering to the household budget of 1.2 million Australian families?

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

Thank you again, Senator O'Neill. I'm pleased to say that the government's cheaper childcare reforms are delivering real cost-of-living relief to Australian families right now. In the first week of our landmark reforms, families paid 14 per cent less per hour per child for centre based day care as a result of the Albanese government's changes. And, thanks to the increased childcare subsidy, a family earning $120,000 with one child in care can expect to save about $2,000 in early childhood education and care costs this financial year.

I take the interjection. It does make a real difference to families' costs, Senator O'Neill. That's what the Albanese government is about—helping people with these costs. Apart from the mortgage or the rent, early childhood education and care is one of the biggest bills that a lot of families pay, and we are making it cheaper. This means more children can access more of the health and education benefits achieved by access to quality early childhood education and care and more cost-of-living relief.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator O'Neill, your second supplementary?

Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

or O'NEILL () (): Thank you, Minister, for that response regarding the reality of 1.2 million Australian families. Thanks to the increased subsidy, parents now have more choice when it comes to taking on more hours of paid work or taking on study. What's the government doing to ensure we have a sustainable early childhood education workforce to support those Australian families?

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