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

It's critical that we have better data around the actual attendance of four-year-olds at preschool, particularly better data around the attendance of four-year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds, Indigenous four-year-olds, children from low socioeconomic backgrounds and the like, to make sure that those children are accessing the entitlement that's available for them.

Senator Cameron interjecting—

I hear yabbering coming from the other side of the chamber. Those opposite fail to acknowledge the fact that, before the last election, they budgeted zero dollars for preschool services during this term of parliament. That's the policy that the Labor Party took to the last election. By the decision the Turnbull government has taken this weekend, or this year, we will have guaranteed ongoing Commonwealth support for preschool from well before the last election until after the next election. But, in the interim, we have clearly identified the issues that need to be addressed by the states and territories in their delivery of preschool services, and, importantly, we are making sure that those who stand to gain the most from preschool services are attending those services.