Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australian families and children are being let down by this Morrison-Joyce government, as they have been by the five other iterations over the last eight long years. A new report from UNICEF ranks wealthy countries on their childcare policies. Forty-one countries have been ranked on childcare affordability, access, quality and parental leave. Australia came 37th out of 41. This is a disgraceful performance. We are getting left behind in the race to give our children the best possible start to life. Lithuania came 12th Hungary came 24th, Romania came 29th and we came 37th.

UNICEF found that there are eight countries where child care consumes at least a quarter of the average wage. Australia is one of those eight countries. This is a tragedy. The report says:

The high cost of childcare accentuates socioeconomic inequalities and deters women from returning to work.

Labor agrees. That is why we have a plan to deliver cheaper child care to 97 per cent of all families. Unlike the government, who only help a very small number of families, we will help the vast majority of families. Many families will be stuck with the Prime Minister's busted system, which now has record out-of-pocket costs. There's only one way to fix childcare affordability and it's to vote Labor at the next election.