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

Families and all Australian taxpayers should have confidence that their tax dollars are being more effectively used and not going in the pockets of rorters and that people who are caring for children are appropriate individuals.

Under Labor, in the two years to June 2013, there were zero cancellations of services, zero suspensions, only two fines issued and zero criminal charges laid. That is because compliance checks actually fell under the Labor government from 763 checks to 523. We have increased the number of those checks sixfold under our government to 3,100, ensuring compliance with the law, while we have simultaneously toughened and strengthened the law to make sure that it is actually effective in not only determining the suitability of people caring for children but also ensuring that our billions of dollars of investment in supporting early education and child care goes to supporting early education and child care and not into the pockets of the rorters.