Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. One and a half million families will have their payments cut, and millions of children will be worse off because of the Prime Minister's decision today. Why is the Prime Minister pitting families against each other, robbing Peter to pay Paul, and leaving one and a half million families worse off?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Labor Party has nothing to offer on child care at all. We have set out a plan which has come out of careful work by the Productivity Commission. We have taken this plan to an election and we know it supports the families that need help the most. We know that it supports families on low and middle incomes the most. We know that it removes the $7,500 cap. For the vast majority of families, it provides the support that Australian mothers and fathers need to be able to work the hours they need.

You would think Labor would be getting behind that but, oh no, they are opposed and they have no alternative of their own. As I noted earlier, the member for Jagajaga used to say social services, social welfare reforms have to be paid for but not anymore; apparently, you just run up more debt. They took to the election higher taxes, higher deficit, higher debt. That is the Labor chronicle of mismanagement.

We are determined to deliver a fair go for Australian families. We are determined to enable more mothers and fathers to work the hours they need. We are determined to enable more Australian children to get access to the high-quality child care and early learning they need. We have the means to do it. The Labor Party should be backing it. Instead, they are throwing every obstacle to this reform they can. They have no plan on child care, no plan on energy, no plan on jobs, no plan on the economy. All they have is a plan for more debt, more tax, more deficit thereby putting an enormous burden on the future of our children and grandchildren. We are defending them. We are protecting them. Labor should get on board and support it.