Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today with a simple message: the government's new childcare package is coming soon and Central Queensland parents need to sign on to continue receiving support. This coalition government is committed to funding the opportunities our children need to advance and succeed. This means backing real needs based funding for our schools and increasing funding for our childcare network.

While our delivery of Gonski 2.0 has seen a record investment in our schools right across the country, on a purely means based model, supported by David Gonski himself, we are extending this investment by delivering increased support to our vitally important childcare sector. Minister Birmingham recently announced the Australian government's new childcare package was aimed at providing more support to those who need it while sensibly managing the areas that may be wasting money. Soon families will be able to benefit from this new system, including the additional $2.5 billion we're injecting over the next four years to provide more support for more families and greater support to the families who need it most. We will provide the greatest subsidy and financial support to the families who earn the least. We're increasing the subsidy from around 72 per cent to 85 per cent for more than 370,000 families earning less than $66,958 a year. This essentially means that a family on $60,000 a year whose childcare centre charges $100 per day will pay around $15 a day for their child care.

This new childcare package targets support to families who most depend on child care in order to work or work more. We want families to choose their child care around their work rather than limit their work hours to suit their child care. It is estimated that the package will encourage more than 230,000 families to increase their workforce participation and, in turn, deliver more job opportunities for those working in the sector. Implementation of the package is well and truly underway. The most important thing CQ families need to do right now is log onto their myGov account and transition to the new IT system. Families can access the transition portal directly through myGov or via www.education.gov.au/childcare, where they can also explore some additional information about the package. Families must complete this online form in order to continue receiving subsidies from 2 July, so I say to the families of Central Queensland: please log on and access the transition portal. It won't take you long and it is the only way to ensure you benefit from this new and exciting package.