Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

It's my great pleasure to rise and contribute to this MPI. We notice in Labor's contributions that they have been very silent about child care. We have funded $2.5 billion extra to child care, which is delivering some low- and middle-income families up to $8,000 a year in savings. That's why the Labor Party are not talking about child care; it's because they have been embarrassed.

When Labor were in government, they prioritised high-income families. We on this side are prioritising the extra funding for low- and middle-income families, and the dividend is there for all to see. Some families are receiving a rebate of up to 85 per cent of daily childcare costs. And I supported very much the Minister for Education when he regretfully had to say that, on education, we hear every single day the Labor Party continuing to lie. They continue to lie. The facts speak for themselves. On child care, the facts are: in Labor's last budget, they delivered $6 billion. In our last budget, we delivered $8.3 billion. On schools, the facts are: in Labor's last budget, they delivered $13.7 billion; in our budget last year, we delivered $19.3 billion. On higher education and research, the facts are: in Labor's last budget, they delivered $14.9 billion; in our most recent budget, we delivered $17.3 billion. These are the facts.

Labor talk about this ridiculous so-called $30 billion. I tell you what Labor did. When Labor were in government, this so-called mysterious amount of money was not in their budget; it was put beyond the forward estimates. So they didn't have the guts, they didn't have the courage to actually put it in their budget. The whole thing is a complete fraud. They put it in years 5 and 6. I have been around a long time and we were on a unity ticket with Labor for the first four years of spending; absolutely, we were on a unity ticket. But Labor never delivered the so-called extra money to this country. It was never delivered to schools, never delivered to families, because the Labor Party put it in years 5 and 6. They did not put it into the budget. That was what the Labor Party did. The whole thing is a fraud. The shadow minister for education stood up there and she unfortunately—and I do not like to use this word—lied. She has lied.

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