Claims today by Opposition Education Spokesperson Kate Ellis confirm changes made by the previous Labor Government have accelerated costs for Australian families but that they offer no plan to fix the mess they left.
The Opposition continues to stand in the way of child care reforms that will benefit around one million families. Labor is not only standing in the way of the savings that will pay for the additional $3 billion investment in child care but is opposing a policy that will address the mistakes they made in child care when they tinkered around the edges, hurting the hip pockets of families and increasing the costs to taxpayers.
If Ms Ellis is so opposed to our increased childcare support, targeted at hard working low and middle income families, then she needs to clarify what her alternative is – will Labor simply continue the status quo or do they have a costed alternative?
Labor’s failed policy continues to slug Australian families with increased costs of child care even while they oppose the Turnbull Government’s essential reforms.
The Turnbull Government’s commitment to put downward pressure on child care costs is in stark contrast to Labor’s record on creating a less affordable child care system for Australian families.
Labor’s 2008 increase in the Child Care Rebate from 30 to 50 per cent, without a check on what centres could charge, led to rapid increases in prices for both families and taxpayers.
The Productivity Commission report into the sector described Labor’s rebate increase as having “accelerated” the climb of child care fees (Page 391), meaning families pay more.
Government expenditure on early childhood education and care
Page 115, Productivity Commission Inquiry Report into Childcare and Early Childhood Learning
“Labor tinkered around the edges and hurt families. We have engaged with the sector, with parents and the community and have laid out a fully-costed package of comprehensive reform that will make child care more affordable and accessible for those who need it most,” Minister Birmingham said.
“I call on Labor to work with us to fix the mistakes they made that are still hurting families and taxpayers, and to support the Turnbull Government’s $40 billion childcare package, including the savings required to fund more than $3 billion in extra funding that will help make child care simpler, more flexible and more affordable.
“More than one million families stand to benefit from our reforms, families that depend on child care to work or work more.”