Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

These changes, these policies of the Turnbull government, will make it simpler for families to choose to work the hours that suit them because they will not have to worry if they are a low- or a middle-income family about the impediment of childcare costs in making those choices. It will empower an estimated more than 200,000 Australian families to choose to work more days or work more hours, or engage for the first time in the workforce. These are empowering decisions for those families; life-changing decisions in terms of their opportunity to return to work sooner, to work hours that suit them and to do so knowing that they will get fair support that reflects low- or middle-income status in meeting their childcare costs. I find it remarkable that anybody could consider opposing these changes with the fairness that is built into them. Ultimately, they are going to deliver the greatest support to the lowest income, hardest working Australian families.