Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services and Disability Services) Share this | Hansard source

It doesn't start until 1 July. Support this policy if you want to support hardworking men and women in Australia—hardworking families, the vulnerable in our community.

The coalition government is increasing Australia's investment in early childhood education; it's not cutting it—once again another scaremongering campaign from those on the other side, probably suited to the campaigns for the by-elections, where they're not going down too well, because the coalition government is delivering an extra $2.5 billion over the next four years, which will help more than one million Australian families. Low- and middle-income families will be the greatest beneficiaries from this package.

The opposition leader has always been big on promises and short on delivering. Instead of attempting to govern in the interests of their union puppetmasters, the opposition should be considering how they should serve their constituencies and the families in their constituencies. On penalty rates, it was the Leader of the Opposition who, as the employment minister, established the Fair Work Commission. It was the Leader of the Opposition who, as the employment minister, appointed a former trade union leader as the Commissioner of the Fair Work Commission. It was the Leader of the Opposition who instigated the four-yearly review of penalty rates by the Fair Work Commission, and it was the Leader of the Opposition who said he would accept the decision of the Fair Work Commission. He publicly went out there and said the opposition would accept the decision of the Fair Work Commission. But then, after 39 days of hearings, 143 witnesses and more than 6,000 submissions, the Fair Work Commission handed down, in February last year, a 500-page decision and the Leader of the Opposition doesn't like the decision. He doesn't like the decision made by the body he set up. He appointed the commission, and he should accept the decision. He doesn't like it, so he's spat his dummy. The Leader of the Opposition and the opposition—

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