Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I would briefly like to add some comments in relation to the tabling of this report—I understand the reports have been tabled together. This is a really important process for the education committee to consider in relation to affordable child care, quality child care and the accessibility of early childhood and educational services. It is essential that we start to reform this sector from within but also from the view of the broader Australian community.

We know that childcare and early childhood education services are an essential service for over a million families across the country. We know that families rely on those services so that parents can return to work and juggle those work-life issues.

We also know how crucial quality education, early education and care services are to ensuring that we give our children the best start in life. They are the building blocks of educational development and experience for children. We know that the most crucial years are from zero to five. When we talk about the affordability, accessibility and the equality of child care, those three elements must be linked. It was very clear throughout this inquiry that the quality reforms that have been spearheaded by previous federal governments, together with the states, are crucial. But they are only going to deliver if they are funded properly. What is the point of putting up a reform agenda in the childcare space if we do not see the investment made to ensure that those reforms are sustainable in the future? That is why, here in the Greens, we are very concerned about the cuts in the child care and early childhood space under the current budget.

Hundreds of millions of dollars have been cut from the funding of child care, from delivering services, whether it is the childcare rebate—the latest bill by this government cuts funding from the childcare benefit, making parents have to pay even more for child care—changes and cuts to funding in family day care, or the looming cuts to the kindergarten universal access program. All of these cuts in funding are on top of the fact that these important quality reforms have not been funded properly either by this government or the previous government. For six years I have been saying in this place that, if we want to make sure these reforms work properly, we have to bankroll them. We actually have to put the resources in to ensure that we are not just cost shifting onto families.

Australian mums and dads want their children to get the best quality care they possibly can. But they need to be able to afford it. Families want to be able to ensure that they can get the best quality care, but you have to be able to find a place. Over and over again throughout this inquiry, we continued to hear that parents are struggling to find a place in many areas, particularly in the metro and inner suburban electorates. And then there is the issue of being able to afford rising childcare fees, which are a massive burden. Out in the rural and regional areas, being able to access a service that can deliver the type of flexibility that families need is an issue as well. Ensuring that good quality services are available for children, regardless of their postcode, should be a key indicator for any government, particularly for those of us in this place who are passionate about this issue.

There are some really good recommendations in this report, but they will mean nothing and they will come to nothing until we start realising that investing in early childhood education and care is a worthwhile investment in our children's future. The World Bank have done the research and they know. They say that, for every dollar that a nation-state puts into early childhood education services, there is a $17 return. That is good bang for your buck. But it means being bold and up-front and ensuring that we invest in those services from day one. I look forward to how this place and the government of the day respond to the recommendations outlined in this report. I commend it to the chamber.