TRANSCRIPT – SKY NEWS – NEWSDAY

Angie Bell MP
Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education
Shadow Minister for Youth
Federal Member for Moncrieff

TRANSCRIPT
SKY NEWS – NEWSDAY

7 September 2022

Subjects: Early Childhood Education

E&OE………………………………………………….

TOM CONNELL:
It is world early childhood educators’ and many in Australia are marking the day by walking off the job, striking for better pay and conditions. So, what is happening in the sector? Early Childhood Education Shadow Minister, Angie Bell, joins me now here in the studio. Thanks so much for your time. So, the strike action today I guess the easiest question is, do they deserve more pay?

ANGIE BELL MP:
Well, I think the question is we’ve had 100 days of the Albanese Government and there’s been no movement across the sector whatsoever. So, the educators today are telling me they want to be heard by this government, which is ignoring their pay and conditions right now.

TOM CONNELL:
But what’s your view? Should they deserve that higher pay rate?

ANGIE BELL MP:
Oh, I think a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay is a pretty good thing, Tom. Across Australia, that’s what we celebrate as Australians, and they’re having their say today to make sure they put some pressure on this government to see some movement.

TOM CONNELL:
So what’s a fair pay increase then?

ANGIE BELL MP:
Well, that’s up to the Fair Work Commission, and as we’ve seen the Labor Party supporting aged care workers pay increases. Early childhood educators are wondering why they’re being left behind by this government.

TOM CONNELL:
So should Labor do the same offer because what they’ve put forward for aged care – it’s a similar issue for childcare because if you increase aged care pay, either the centres or the government or consumers have to pick up the tab. So, Labor said “we’ll pay” – so should they do the same for childcare workers?

ANGIE BELL MP:
Are they favouring Aged Care Workers over childcare workers? I don’t believe that’s good government. In terms of who pays for it, that is a question that the Minister herself couldn’t answer on your show the other day – yesterday, I think it was. She didn’t know where that money was coming from. And certainly, the Albanese Government is paying for, agreed to pay for the Aged Care Workers’ increase, and early childhood educators rightly are asking why are they being left behind?

TOM CONNELL:
So, what’s your view on who you think should pay them? You’re saying pay increase is warranted. So, who pays, because if the government doesn’t pay ultimately, it’s probably going to be parents.

ANGIE BELL MP:
Well, 51 per cent of the sector is private enterprise. We know that private enterprise doesn’t appreciate sector wide bargaining either, and so how is all of this rolled up into one big mess going to help the early childhood educators? You quite rightly asked who is going to pay and, you know, employers are struggling now, with the costs of running a business. They didn’t have a voice at the Jobs and Skills talk fest. They don’t feel that they’ve been heard and I think that Labor needs to actually move forward on this. Let’s have some movement, they’ve done nothing. Their promise leading into the election was to conduct an ACCC inquiry, Productivity Commission review, that has not been undertaken. There’s been no movement. They’ve been in government for 100 days, and we’ve seen nothing, we’ve seen no decisions…interrupted

TOM CONNELL:
Shouldn’t they be waiting for this review? This is an all encompassing review of a system in which increased subsidies have been paid for years. The Coalition tipped a lot of money in this, but they were eaten up by increased fees. So, we need to find out how much centres maybe are making and what the issue might be there, maybe even exploring government run options; that happen at primary school, high school, but not in preschool, for example.

ANGIE BELL MP:
Well, the increased childcare subsidy, is going to cost $1.6 billion in its first year, and we’re seeing already, centres increase their prices. We’re seeing centres cap their enrolments, and so it’s quite possible that the savings that parents, or extra childcare subsidies that parents will receive, will be eaten up well before…interrupted

TOM CONNELL:
Hence the review is a good idea.

ANGIE BELL MP:
How is the Labor Government going to implement that by next July when they haven’t even started the Productivity Commission review or the ACCC price capping mechanism?

TOM CONNELL:
This was something that was happening under the coalition too.

ANGIE BELL MP:
They haven’t done any work. So, this is typical Labor, scratch the surface, there’s no detail. We’ve seen no detail in the legislation. We’ve seen no detail on the policy. Australian parents are at their mercy.

TOM CONNELL:
Let’s get back to their pay question though. Should the Federal Government pay for an increase for childcare workers?

ANGIE BELL MP:
The Federal Government is paying for Aged Care Workers increases, then why aren’t they paying for early childhood educators?

TOM CONNELL:
Sure, we can put to them, but what’s your view? The should?

ANGIE BELL MP:
This is a matter for the Fair Work Commission.

TOM CONNELL:
Well, they set the rates, they don’t decide who pays. So, are you saying the Federal Government should pay for the increase?

ANGIE BELL MP:
No, what I’m saying is the Federal Government has agreed to pay for aged care workers increases. So why are they agreeing in one service sector and not agreeing in another service sector?

TOM CONNELL:
That’s a fair enough question for Labor.

ANGIE BELL MP:
That’s right.

TOM CONNELL:
But I’m asking you as a Shadow Minister, are you saying the Federal Government should pay for childcare.

ANGIE BELL MP:
Well, I’m not in Government.

TOM CONNELL:
No, but you’re in Opposition.

ANGIE BELL MP:
I’m in opposition. So, this is a matter for the Government to decide.

TOM CONNELL:
But you’re asking a question rather than saying they should?

ANGIE BELL MP:
Australians should rightly be asking these questions, Tom, of their government, what are they doing in the early childhood sector, because they are funding an increase for age care workers and they’re not funding an increase, at this point in time.

TOM CONNELL:
So will you form a view on who should pay for a childcare worker’s increase?

ANGIE BELL MP:
This is a matter for the Fair Work Commission, and this is a matter for the Albanese Government.

TOM CONNELL:
The Fair Work Commission doesn’t decide who pays.

ANGIE BELL MP:
The Fair Work Commission decides how much of an increase will occur.

TOM CONNELL:
So, once we know that, then will you have a view on who should pay for it.

ANGIE BELL MP:
Well, I’m not putting my view on the table right now Tom, because this is up to the Government to solve this problem within the sector, not the Opposition.

TOM CONNELL:
Okay. Alright, Angie Bell, gotta leave it there. Thank you.

[ends]