CRAIG REUCASSEL:
Well as you might remember, last week I spoke to Kirsten Drysdale as part of our misinformation segment. She was very angry. She’s on the committee of a small not for profit community child care center, and they were really struggling with getting access to the government’s pay rise for early childhood educators. Here’s how she explained the process.
KIERAN GILBERT:
Welcome back to the program. Let’s go live now to the Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Angie Bell. Angie, thanks for your time. We’ve played today this new campaign video by the Liberal Party talking about Peter Dutton, a former police officer. He worked part time in a butcher shop when he was a young man as well and lots of images of their him with his family. How important is it for the Coalition, for Mr Dutton himself, to explain to the Australian people who he is, I guess, to humanise him.
The Albanese Labor government should apologise to Australia’s early childhood education sector for lying about its pay rise promise, and making life harder for the educators. It has been revealed that 85% of the nation’s eligible educators have still not received a pay rise under Labor’s signature Worker Retention Payment.
BERN YOUNG:
Bern Young with you. Aat this time of year, there’s that feeling that everything’s winding down. Is that the case for our federal polllies, though? Sitting days are done, sure. Do they get their Christmas cards out and then just kick back, relax? Probably not, I would think, with an election looming in the new year.
I’m joined this afternoon by the Liberal Member for Moncrieff, which covers the central Gold Coast. Angie Bell, good afternoon.
ANGIE BELL MP:
Great to be with you. Bern.
KIERAN GILBERT:
The government also announced yesterday, families will be able to access child care subsidies for up to three days a week under the new plan. Let’s get some reaction from the Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Angie Bell.
Angie, thanks for your time. The idea of dealing with those child care deserts, places like regional areas, out of suburban areas, isn’t it a good thing to try and provide that supply?
The official ASIC insolvency data shows there have been almost 26,000 business insolvencies across Australia since the Albanese Government was elected and confirms November 2024 was the worst month for business insolvencies on record with 1,442 businesses going to the wall. November’s numbers confirm Australia has had 12,405 insolvencies in 2024. This means with a month to go 2024 is already the worst calendar year for business failures on record.
Australia’s early childhood education sector has seen through the Albanese Labor Government’s spin and rejected one of its signatures child care policies. Labor promised up to 200,000 early childhood workers would be over $100 a week better off by Christmas under its Wage Justice for Early Childhood Education and Care Workers policy.
KIERAN GILBERT:
The government also announced yesterday, families will be able to access child care subsidies for up to three days a week under the new plan. Let’s get some reaction from the Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Angie Bell.
Angie, thanks for your time. The idea of dealing with those child care deserts, places like regional areas, out of suburban areas, isn’t it a good thing to try and provide that supply?
MICHAEL MCLAREN:
Look, I had my say on the new child care plan from the Albanese government yesterday. Not a fan, not a fan. But I’ll just outline it quickly again for you. The ALP, they’ve pledged to introduce a three-day guarantee for child care services. So, what that basically means is every family will be able to access early childhood education for three days each week before they start school. But there’s a catch, because, you know, if you can get a place and you pay for it, well you can get that now anyway. The difference is the government have decided they go to abolish the activity test.
The Coalition will strongly oppose Labor’s new Misinformation Bill, which Federal Member for Moncrieff, Angie Bell, described as an attack on free speech. When the Government released its first Misinformation Bill last year, more than 20,000 people put in submissions and comments opposing it, and so it was withdrawn in disgrace.