Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I would have to say that, in the short time that I have been in the Senate, that is the clearest indication of a minister being so out of touch and arrogant that I have had to date. Is the minister aware that over the last 10 years, going back to 1996-97, the cost of child care has almost doubled, rising 99 per cent? How does the minister expect average families to cope when the cost of essential services doubles every 10 years? Isn’t it a fact that the Howard government has failed to ensure families can access affordable child care?