Julian Simmonds (Ryan, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

If the member for Kingston still stands by her figures, she might like to go into more detail about how she came to them, because there is an entire department of experts who do this for a living who can't do the same maths as her and who can't get the same figures that she does. I would put it to the House that the reason for that is that she's got her maths wrong. Labor are not allowing facts to get in the way of the story they want to tell. It's important to judge this program by its results, as you should judge all programs and all of the funding that we have put in place to help people through COVID-19. Let's judge it on its results.

At a time when restrictions were being put in place, as people were working from home or not working at all and therefore pulling their kids out of child care because it was a cost that they could no longer afford, the childcare sector was in crisis and facing imminent collapse. Instead of that scenario, what have we got? We've got 98 per cent of centres open. Ninety-eight per cent of centres are open and operating for the assistance of their community and to help us as we undertake the economic recovery. Before the package, the sector acknowledged that they were in deep, deep trouble and facing crisis and collapse; on the other side of the package, 98 per cent of centres are still open. It seems like it's hit the mark—very much so. The centres are still operating and underway.

What's even more hypocritical about the member for Kingston's claims—and Labor's claims—on this issue is that she stands in this place and says, 'I speak on behalf of parents who would like to put their kids into care so that they can return to work.' Well, I wish she would give that message to her Labor Premier friends around the country, who have been slow and lethargic to reopen schools, as opposed to childcare centres, which have been operating this entire time—these wonderful frontline workers who have been supporting and helping our kids, educating our kids, and looking after our kids throughout the COVID-19 crisis, despite concerns about their own health. In contrast, we've had Labor premiers, despite clear health advice saying that schools are able to open and operate so that parents can get back to work and don't have to homeschool, saying, 'We choose not to take the health advice.' Explain that hypocrisy to me. If she's so concerned about working parents, maybe the member for Kingston would like to stand up and explain why she hasn't fronted up to her Labor premiers and said, 'The health advice is that these schools can be open. Let's get them open.'

What you saw with this package is the Morrison government and Minister Tehan acting decisively to support the childcare sector and working families in our electorates around Australia during a time of crisis. They acted decisively. They injected extra funding into the system—$1.6 billion on top of the billion dollars they are accessing via the JobKeeper payment—in order to keep those jobs in place, in order to keep our kids looked after during this global pandemic. (Time expired)

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