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

[by video link] Well, another report says that childcare fees are out of control under this Morrison government. The latest data shows that childcare fees rose by 2.4 per cent over the 12 months to March 2021, despite fees being frozen for six months in 2020. That is more than double inflation, and what this means is that the value of the childcare subsidy is going down and out-of-pocket costs are rising. Despite the government constantly telling us that there are no problems, today I read reports that many childcare centres are introducing buy-now pay-later because childcare is so unaffordable. That is what we've come to in this country, where, to ensure that families are able to afford the out-of-pocket costs, they have to enter into buy-now pay-later schemes. This is just unacceptable.

Of course, the government wants a pat on the back for a policy that helps only a minority of families, who still have to wait another six months to even get any relief. Of course, this government's so out of touch. What they should realise is that every family using childcare is paying high out-of-pocket costs and deserves support, not just a minority as proposed by the government. (Time expired)