Fatima Payman (WA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As a former union organiser, I welcome the long overdue pay rise for more than 200,000 early childhood educators across Australia. I visited centres and had conversations with educators about the fight for better pay and conditions and shining a spotlight on the injustices faced by those who nurture our youngest citizens and do more than just babysitting. I commend the tireless efforts of the United Workers Union for their advocacy and persistence to work with the government in securing this significant milestone achievement. However, more needs to be done.

Recently, I visited 12 regional towns in 12 days around Western Australia, and I met with many local parents who expressed the dire need for more educators and more early childhood education centres to accommodate the growing needs of the regions. From the Midwest, Gascoyne, Pilbara and Kimberley regions to the Southwest and the Goldfields, I heard about the urgent need for re-investment back into the towns for better productivity and growth. With the median age sitting between 30 and 37 years in these regions, it is crucial to understand that early childhood education is an essential service for regional families.

As I heard time and time again, one size does not fit all. Among many places, I visited the Child and Parent Centre in Kununurra and learned about their extensive waitlist, the lack of workforce and the need for cultural sensitivity training at centres when engaging with families from diverse backgrounds. I implore members of the government to visit the regions in WA to address the workforce shortage and give every family regardless of their postcode the opportunity to accessible, affordable and appropriate early childhood education.