Dennis Jensen Tangney, Liberal Party
2:47 pm
My question is to the Assistant Minister for Education. Will the minister outline how the administration of the Early Years Quality Fund impacted on childcare centres in Western Australia? What is the government doing to make child care affordable, flexible and available in my home state?
Sussan Ley Farrer, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education
I thank the member for Tangney for his question and his concern about childcare affordability in Western Australia. I am sure he is also interested in the Auditor-General confirming that his office will officially examine and scrutinise Labor's $300 million Early Years Quality Fund. That was the fund that was not about the early years and was not about quality; it was about $300 million of hijacked taxpayers' money in pursuit of union recruitment. The independent PricewaterhouseCoopers report said many things, including that Labor's EYQF was inherently unfair, inequitable and drove a greater pay divide in the sector.
Kate Ellis Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Education
Just cut all their wages!
Sussan Ley Farrer, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education
The member for Adelaide is quite welcome to ask me questions without notice any question time.
Kate Ellis Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Education
I know the answer: you will cut their wages!
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Adelaide will desist or leave!
Ms Kate Ellis interjecting—
The member for Adelaide is warned!
Sussan Ley Farrer, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education
In Western Australia there are 1,348 childcare centres, of those 510 are long day care centres. So, under the member for Adelaide's policy, 838 were out in the cold from the word go. They could never have applied. They were not grounds for union recruitment drives.
Ms Butler interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Griffith will desist or leave!
Sussan Ley Farrer, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education
Only five per cent of the workforce was even allocated a slice of the action under Labor's so-called Early Years Quality Fund. Interestingly enough, the unions were front and centre of this, Member for Adelaide. They were also front and centre for the member for Adelaide's re-election campaign because in a Daily Telegraph report—
Mr Thistlethwaite interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Kingsford Smith is warned!
Mr Thistlethwaite interjecting—
The member for Kingsford Smith will leave under standing order 94(a).
The member for Kingsford Smith then left the chamber.
Sussan Ley Farrer, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education
I refer to a report in The Daily Telegraph in August 2013, which said:
A confidential email intended for members of United Voice this week demanded child care workers join Ms Ellis' campaign team this weekend and door knock residents.
But that was not all, in a shameful misuse of the member for Adelaide's ministerial position in the dying days of the 2013 campaign, she sent home flyers—
Ms Kate Ellis interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Adelaide is warned. Does she wish to leave now?
Kate Ellis Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Education
Oh, no; I am quite enjoying this.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
Then she will leave right now under standing order 94(a).
Mark Dreyfus Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I am just trying to work out the ruling you just gave. You asked a member of parliament if they would like to leave, they answered your question and then you threw them out for interjecting when the interjection—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The Deputy Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat now. He will resume his seat or leave himself!
Mark Dreyfus Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
This better not be just to interrupt proceedings.
Mark Dreyfus Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General
Madam Speaker, you have not heard me. You cannot possibly tell what I am going to say.
Mark Dreyfus Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General
And you do need to listen. It is your job.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Isaacs will leave under standing order 94(a).
The member for Isaacs then left the chamber.
Sussan Ley Farrer, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education
From the member for Adelaide to childcare centres on the eve of the election: 'Please print this flyer. Put it in parents' pigeon holes. Stick it up in your centre before pick-up time'—a shameful misuse of her ministerial position.