Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Dastyari for the question—I think his first in his new frontbench role, and I congratulate him on that. I am happy, Mr President, to tell Senator Dastyari that the government has no plans nor intentions to force child-care providers to charge by the hour.

Senator Cormann interjecting—

Indeed, Senator Cormann; that is right. What the government is hoping and encouraging is that, through our childcare reforms, which are increasing affordability for families and flexibility for childcare providers, childcare providers will consider options within their business models to be able to provide different levels of sessional care for children. It is important that people who routinely or regularly wish to or want to access maybe five or six hours of care on certain days for their children are not billed for 10, 11 or 12 hours of care. But these will be matters for childcare providers to determine in accordance with their business models. So there should be absolutely no threat, risk or otherwise to the price of child care nor the viability of those childcare providers.

So I am very happy to give Senator Dastyari a very clear answer to his question: no, I see no risk of closure. To perhaps pre-empt the next question: I see no risk of price rises, because it is entirely up to the childcare providers to assess how their business model can best be supported. In fact, what we should see is greater affordability for families. We should see greater affordability, because we are investing more than $3 billion in improving childcare subsidies and support for families—more than $3 billion in additional support for, in particular, working families—to ensure that they get the maximum assistance to access child care and support when they need it in balancing and juggling their work and family obligations. So our reforms will ensure greater affordability and greater flexibility.