Colin Boyce (Flynn, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the member for Moncrieff's motion as families in the Flynn electorate need child care that is available and accessible, as well as affordable. However, in many communities, families cannot find a childcare place for their child, which is preventing parents from returning to work. At the last election, the Prime Minister promised Australian families lower out-of-pocket costs for early childhood education, yet 12 months since the Labor government has come to power, it's clear that its cheaper childcare policy will not deliver on that promise. Instead, we've seen fees and out-of-pocket costs increase and no additional places created for families. Early learning providers are increasing their fees—some twice in the last 12 months—and families are watching as their new subsidy is completely eaten up by those new fees. The last time Labor was in government, childcare fees skyrocketed by 53 per cent in just six years. They've increased by eight per cent in the last nine months. Labor has no plan to address increasing fees, no plan to increase access, no plans to address current workforce pressures faced by educators and no plans to address thin markets and childcare deserts.

The Albanese government said their policy would get thousands of women back into the workforce. The reality is that families are stuck on waiting lists and centres are capping enrolments because they don't have the workforce to cater for the additional families and extra days. Parents who want to return to work or take up extra hours can't because this government didn't do the work to make that happen. There are currently more than nine million Australians living in a childcare desert with little access to early learning education or none at all. Many families are struggling to access a spot for their children, especially those under 18 months and especially in rural and regional Australia.

Earlier this year my office conducted research on child care in the Flynn electorate. The research found that there are 36 childcare providers in Flynn offering a maximum of 2,419 places. There are no childcare vacancies in Boyne Island, Gayndah, Mount Morgan, Mundubbera or Wondai. There are also childcare centres in Agnes Water, Emerald and Gladstone that do not have any childcare places either. Since this research, the kindergartens in Mount Morgan and Biloela have announced they will be closing, all because of lack of funding and bureaucratic red tape. Labor's plan states that Indigenous children will be able to access 36 hours of subsidised child care a fortnight from July 2023. Woorabinda and Eidsvold, with large First Nations populations, do not have those childcare places available. How can every Indigenous child be given 36 hours per fortnight when there are no places to be had?

The Labor government is doing nothing to support families, nothing to increase access for families who need it most and, on top of this, nothing to ease the cost-of-living pressures. Cost-of-living indexes released by the Bureau of Statistics lay bare the rising cost of living under the Albanese government, especially for working Australians. Working households experienced the highest annual rise on record, or 9.6 per cent, based on mortgage rate increases. Mortgage interest expenses blew out by 91.6 per cent—another record. In the last quarter, indexes for all five household types measured by cost-of-living indexes rose by up to 1.5 per cent. Insurance and financial services are the leading component, again driven by mortgage interest rate increases and larger insurance premiums. The data confirms that all Australians have experienced significant—and sometimes record—cost-of-living increases on Labor's watch. Families are reporting an increased cost of their daily fees in excess of $20 a day. The cost-of-living crisis in Australia is driving up the cost of rent, mortgages, groceries and everyday bills, like early childhood education and care bills for Australian families. On top of this, the government's inaction to address workforce shortages is limiting access to early childhood education and care for families.

The member for Moncrieff is correct. This government must deliver more access to early childhood education and care places to support Australians to return to the workforce, particularly in rural and regional Australia.

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