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

I thank Senator McKenzie, Bridg, for her question and her particular interest in this very serious issue. The Turnbull government's No Jab, No Pay policy has been a massive success, which is really important and valuable and good news for Australian families, and indeed the entire Australian community in terms of our health care in the future. The coalition government on 1 January 2016 introduced our No Jab, No Pay policy, which sees only parents of children who have been fully vaccinated or who are on a recognised catch-up schedule being eligible to receive childcare benefit, the childcare rebate, and the family tax benefit part A end-of-year supplement.

Childcare payments are conditional on all children meeting their childhood immunisation requirements. The only exemption that we have allowed is a valid medical exemption, and conscientious objection is no longer a valid exemption under the reforms our government have put in place. These have made a profound difference in a very short period of time. Thanks to No Jab, No Pay, an additional 200,000 Australian children have been vaccinated. These gains make a significant contribution to the immunisation rates across the entire Australian community and, of course, have profound healthcare benefits not just in child care or schools but ultimately in to the long term for all Australians.

We see immunisation as an important health measure for children because it is the safest and the most effective way of providing protection against harmful and sometimes deadly diseases. Parents deserve to know that their children will be safe when they are dropped off at child care. They deserve to know that as they progress through school they will be in a safe environment, protected from disease, and of course the entire community deserves to know that we have effective immunisation policies, which the Turnbull government is proud to have strengthened.