Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Minister Wong. How has the government addressed the cost-of-living challenges while building a better and fairer education system, from early-childhood education all the way through to fee-free TAFE and HECS debt relief? Can the minister also detail particularly how the Albanese government is helping early-childhood educators get a pay rise while also keeping fees down for many working families?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you to Senator Ciccone for that excellent question. What I would say is we understand that Australians are struggling with cost-of-living challenges. We know that, which is why this government is working so hard to deliver assistance and support to Australians who are struggling with the cost of living and looking at all the ways we can help—tax cuts for all Australian taxpayers, energy bill relief for every household, cheaper medicines and more bulk-billing, HECS relief for everyone with a student debt—and, of course, fee-free TAFE—support for people from the outer suburbs and regions to go to university and getting wages moving. We also provisioning for higher wages for aged-care and childcare workers.

Of course, what have the opposition, who came in here talking about cost of living, actually done? Well, what they have really done is oppose cost-of-living relief at every chance they get. Not only that, but the ideas they put forward would cost more. Mr Dutton's plans would mean higher power prices, higher grocery prices and higher taxes, but there is one thing that would be lower under Mr Dutton. There would be one thing that would be lower—

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Wages!

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You got it, Sterlie—wages! Wages will definitely be lower under the Liberals and Nationals. You see, Labor wants Australians to earn more and keep more of what they earn, including early childhood educators and care workers. We are making sure that they are fairly paid by funding a 15 per cent wage increase, and we are always working to make sure the cost is not passed onto families. The wage increase is tied to a commitment from centres to limit fee increases, so better for parents, better for educators, better for children. This is on top of our cheaper childcare reforms that have cut the cost of child care for 1.2 million families.

You don't like the truth do you, Senator Henderson? According to the ACCC, childcare costs were cut by 11 per cent following our reforms—11 per cent! (Time expired)

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

Senator Ciccone, a first supplementary?

Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In my home state of Victoria and right across Australia, including here in Parliament House, I have met so many hardworking early childhood educators and parents who speak of what an important role they play. What will the government's decision to lift the wages of early childhood education and care workers mean for the workers and the industry more broadly?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Ciccone, for the supplementary. Like all of us on this side of the chamber, he knows early childhood educators deserve a pay rise. The Productivity Commission has made it clear: if we don't increase wages in the sector we won't have a workforce. Under the Albanese government's plan, an average worker receiving the award rate will get an extra $103 per week in pay by the end of the year, increasing to $155 extra by December 2025, a wage increase that will apply to workers in OSHC—outside of school hours care services—benefiting parents of school-aged children too.

Of course, we take a different view to the opposition. We don't believe we should keep wages low by design. Of course, we have Senator Rennick, who is on the record on these issues. When Labor announced these changes, he said 'paying early educators more was going to destroy the family unit'. Is this the coalition's policy?

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

Senator Rennick on a point of order?

Gerard Rennick (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I've offered the Prime Minister and Minister for Education a debate about this issue.

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

That is not a point of order. Please resume your seat. Senator Rennick, I have asked you to sit down. Please resume your seat. Senator Ciccone, a second supplementary?

Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the minister for that response. How is the Albanese Labor government supporting Australians to develop the skills and the capabilities required for the jobs of the future while also providing cost-of-living relief?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you for the supplementary, Senator Ciccone, because it does articulate one of the policy challenges that the government at this time faces. We have to address cost-of-living challenges but we also have to do the work that was never done under the coalition, which is to set Australia up for a prosperous future.

By 2050, Australia will need a workforce where four out of five people have a TAFE or university qualification. If we don't achieve that, we will be poorer; we will be less productive than we otherwise would be. That is why, through fee-free TAFE, we are funding 500,000 courses in priority areas of care, defence, construction and manufacturing, to name a few, and doubling the number of university study hubs to help students in regions and outer suburbs—looking forward to the National Party being supportive of the Labor government's university study hubs! We are introducing prac payments to help nursing, teaching and social worker students and we are cutting HECS debts for more than three million Australians.