Ged Kearney (Cooper, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

In October 2023, I stood with early childhood educators, kindergarten teachers, parents and community members against Darebin City Council's plans to cut community childcare centre leases to just two years—an ordeal that not only was costly but would've created instability for educators and for parents and their bubs. After our grassroots campaign, the council were forced to act, and I acknowledge Kat Theophanous, the state member for Northcote, and Nathan Lambert, the state member for Preston and Reservoir, for their hard work on this issue. Darebin Child Care and Kindergarten and 17 other community-run childcare centres and kindergartens fought and won five-year-plus-five-year leases. I'll never forget standing with directors, staff and families, making it clear just how important certainty and stability are for these crucial services that support our youngest Cooper residents.

Last week as part of Early Learning Matters Week, I returned to Darebin Child Care and Kindergarten—not to protest but to celebrate with their director, Tina, and her team. It was moving to see the educators' pride in their work and the gratitude of families who rely on their care, and there was more to celebrate. At last these educators who have been undervalued for far too long will see a 15 per cent pay rise back paid, recognising the extraordinary difference they make every single day. This is about respect and dignity and about saying the work of caring for and educating our youngest citizens matters.

I'd like to raise the issue relating to standards for training and accreditation of assistance dogs. My constituent Charles has an assistance dog that is vital to his wellbeing as someone who suffers from severe PTSD. He has told me stories that no Australian should have to tell—stories of being refused entry to libraries and supermarkets, turned away from public transport and interrogated when trying to get into rideshare services with his much-needed furry companion. Instead of being supported, many are made to feel humiliated, and these stories are not unique. Thousands of Australians with guide dogs, hearing dogs, psychiatric support dogs and more face this same battle every single day.

At the heart of the problem is a lack of national standards, which creates inconsistencies between states and across borders internationally in accreditation, in enforcement and also in recourse for discrimination. The message is simple. Australians with disabilities deserve equality. They deserve dignity and certainty, not confusion and exclusion. I will continue to advocate on this issue to make our standards better and more consistent because people's lives and independence depend on them, and Australians who rely on assistance dogs deserve better.

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