Madeleine King (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Recently I had the pleasure of visiting the wonderful kids at the newly opened Discovery at Play Early Learning Centre in Shoalwater. My thanks to the director, Candice Morrison, and her team. Their passion for giving children the best possible start in life is evident in everything they do, from their modern teaching environments to their strong commitment to the children.

The visit highlighted why I'm so proud of the Albanese government's three-day guarantee, which ensures every eligible family can access 72 hours of subsidised care every fortnight. I know that many parents are in casual work with hours that shift from week to week. Others are trying to return to work after a long period out of the workforce. The guarantee replaces the old activity test and ends the catch 22 where parents couldn't get child care without work but couldn't get work without child care. Now families can pursue rewarding jobs knowing their children are receiving high-quality care that centres like Discovery at Play in Shoalwater deliver so well. While this is great for families, I also want to recognise the incredible educators who make this system work so well. That's why our government is delivering a 15 per cent pay rise for early childhood educators. When we value and support educators, we strengthen the entire early learning sector.

When we talk about giving our kids the best start, that commitment extends well into the school years. I was really pleased to visit Malibu School, a specialist education support school and safety bay for students with complex cognitive, physical and sensory needs. Malibu has been a part of the community for over 40 years. Indeed, I went to the school right next door. During my visit, I had the pleasure of meeting the new principal, Julayne Charlton, and seeing the extraordinary work happening at Malibu. I met the wonderful education assistants at the school and the remarkable students taking on the challenges in their lives with determination and joy, learning to be independent so that upon graduation they can go into the world and participate in it on their own terms.

I want to acknowledge all of the staff, parents, guardians, carers and families connected with Malibu School. Their commitment to the education of the students is something to behold, as is a Malibu School assembly. I've never seen such joy at a school, loving chaos and joy in equal measure. I'm excited to go back and visit when I can. I know they're putting in a new putting green; it's going to be very exciting. The Royal Australian Navy based at HMAS Stirling, not far from the school, will be helping out the school, and that's a great contribution from that local personnel.

I also want to pay tribute to Marine Rescue Rockingham, who hosted this year's Emergency Services and First Responders Open Day at the base in Point Peron, a fantastic celebration of all the organisations that keep our community safe. I want to extend a special thanks to Commander Samantha Gibling for her leadership in planning a great event that was well attended by so many kids in the community right across Brand.