Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Our children are our nation's best asset. They are the future of this great country. This is why we must protect them. We must nurture them and give them the best possible chance in life. This is why we must conduct a royal commission into child care. Nothing less will suffice.

The appalling string of charges laid against an appalling string of offenders in the childcare system in recent times demands action. As well, the incidents where some childcare centres have put children's lives at risk in the pursuit of profits is obscene. We are now seeing the industrialisation of childcare. It is simply not right.

Let's not mince words. The predators who do the wrong thing by babies—and they are babies—in child care ought to be locked up forever. They should never ever see the light of day again. How these evildoers managed to slip through the system is anyone's guess. No more.

Let's put the system under the microscope. A full and exhaustive royal commission is what is needed, for the sake of our most precious of people—our kids. You see, with aged care, the older people were able to at least give evidence. Our babies can't; they can't speak for themselves. And we should do the right thing by them.