Tim Watts (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister has often claimed that all must fairly share in the cuts and tax increases imposed by this government in their recent budget, but last week's budget was not a Robin Hood budget but more a King John budget, robbing from the poor to feed the rich. Not content with going after our pensioners, our patients and our underprivileged, the Abbott government is set to target our nation's children. Under the National Partnership Agreement on Universal Access to Early Childhood Education signed by the federal and Victorian Labor governments in 2008, four-year-olds currently receive 15 hours of free early childhood education. That is 15 hours with a tertiary-qualified childcare worker, interacting and developing with other children so they can get the best start in life. However, the federal government's share of this funding is only guaranteed until 2015 and the Abbott government is 'tight-lipped about renewing funding beyond this point'.

I recently visited the Home Road Kindergarten in Newport in my electorate and spoke to staff about the impact that a funding cut of this kind would have on their kindergarten. They spoke to me about their fears of having to lay off staff, increase fees or cut the services they provide to our children. Ultimately, it is the parents and children who will pay for the Abbott government's cuts in this budget. As a parent with two children under three, I want nothing more for my children than that they get the best start in life. It is the same that all parents in my electorate want for their children. The Abbott government needs to explain to the parents and kindergartens in my electorate why it is worth funding accommodation for ballerinas but not our nation's disadvantaged kindergartens. The Abbott government needs to explain why the children of Melbourne's west do not deserve the best start in life.