Private Members Business: Child Care

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) it has been almost three years since the Government was elected and the cost of child care has increased by a whopping 22.3 per cent;

(b) since the Government introduced its cheaper childcare policy, out of pocket costs for families have sky rocketed by 12.7 per cent;

(c) almost 30 per cent of child care services are charging over the hourly rate cap under the current Government, compared to 21 per cent under the previous Government; and

(d) this is just another broken promise from the Government, that continues to leave Australian families behind; and

(2) calls on the Government to deliver:

(a) more access to early childhood education and care places to support Australians to return to the workforce; and

(b) real cost of living relief to families.

Over three years ago, those opposite promised Australians that life would be cheaper under Labor and, in those three years: interest rates have increased a massive 12 times; energy bills, not down by $275 but up by $1,000; living standards for Australians have collapsed by almost nine per cent; 27,000 businesses have gone insolvent—the most ever; and a family with a typical mortgage has spent an additional $50,000 on their interest payments. Under Labor’s economic mismanagement, Australians have experienced the longest sustained period of inflation since the 1980s, the government have left a litany of broken promises and policy failures in their wake, and Australians are the ones paying for it.

Let’s take cheaper child care, for example. If I had a dollar for every time the Prime Minister said that Labor will deliver cheaper child care for Australians, I could retire today. But sadly, for those Australian families, cheaper child care has become another one of Labor’s broken promises. And don’t just take my word for it; let’s have a look at the data. According to the Department of Education’s own data, childcare costs have increased by 22.3 per cent since June 2022, and, according to the ABS data, out-of-pocket costs for families have increased by 12.7 per cent since Labor’s cheaper childcare policy came into effect in 2023.

But Australian families already know their childcare costs are increasing and they are not fooled. They are not fooled when the Prime Minister holds a press conference, usually using a childcare centre as a political backdrop, telling them they are saving money. He keeps telling Australians they are saving money and that they are better off under Albanese but the reality is they are not and they know it. They are not mugs. The Prime Minister and his government continue to treat Australians like mugs, but they know better.

Last week I received an email from Naomi, who is currently paying $16,000 a year for child care after the childcare subsidy for one child. That’s set to increase by another $10,000 when her youngest child attends care from October. That is a lot of money—$36,000 a year for two children to attend childcare. What does the Prime Minister have to say to that? There’s nothing cheap about that child care.

Where is the cost-of-living relief for Naomi’s family and families like hers—families who are paying more at the supermarket, more at the bowser, more for their utility bills, their rents, their mortgages and their education costs; families who are working multiple jobs just to keep the lights on and food on their table? When will this Prime Minister finally admit to those families that he has failed them? He has failed you.

And, while we’re talking about people the Prime Minister has failed—and it’s a long list—I want to talk about regional Australia. I don’t think the Prime Minister knows where the regions are—unless, of course, there’s a photo opportunity.

Late last year Labor announced plans to build 160 new services in regional and outer suburban areas if they win government—another promise. To regional Australians and to those groups who think that this is a fabulous idea—understandably; I get that—I want to ask you just one thing. If Labor cared so much about you—like they pretend they do right now, in the lead-up to an election—why didn’t they do anything during the last three years? Don’t be fooled by this shiny announcement and don’t be fooled by the promise of funding for services in the regions. They’ve already been caught out taking money from the regions through the Community Child Care Fund—which was designed for the regions—and giving it to inner-metro seats. They cannot be trusted. Services in regional areas have been forced to close their doors because they’ve missed out on much-needed funding—funding that was redistributed to metro areas, including to services in the Prime Minister’s own electorate of Grayndler. It was funding that was designed for regional, rural and remote communities, and Labor are already robbing those Australians to give them more inner-city votes.

So, if you think this Building Early Education Fund will be any different, I think you’ll be sorely disappointed. The only thing you’re getting from the beef is a bad taste in your mouth when you realise that Labor only cares about—well, Labor. This train-wreck of a government doesn’t deserve three more years of your trust. You cannot trust it, because all that three more years will bring is more years of pain for Australian families.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Dr Freelander ): Is the motion seconded?

Ms Ware: It is, Deputy Speaker, and I reserve my right to speak.