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

I thank Senator O'Sullivan for his question and his care, interest and support for working Australian families in addressing their household budget issues and ensuring they have greater support in meeting their childcare costs and greater choice in being able to work when they choose to do so.

There are just four days to go until the biggest improvements to Australia's childcare subsidy system in 40 years, four days to go until the Turnbull government's $2½ billion of additional investment into our support for working families kicks in and starts to take effect. There are four days to go until we simplify the childcare system by getting rid of a mix of multiple complex payments with one new childcare subsidy. There are four days to go until the rate of subsidy increases for the overwhelming majority of Australian families and increases significantly for the lowest income families. Those earning less than around $67,000 as a family will see that rate of subsidy increase from 72 per cent all the way up to 85 per cent to help them with cost-of-living pressures. There are four days to go until, importantly—as Senator O'Sullivan referenced—the abolition of the cap on the childcare rebate, the cap that sees thousands and thousands of Australian families run out of childcare support part way through the financial year. And that, of course, means that many families work fewer days or end up going to work just to pay the childcare costs. There are four days to go until a new structure puts in place an efficient benchmark price, as the Productivity Commission recommended, to keep a lid on fee growth into the future. This is comprehensive reform. It's going to benefit an estimated one million Australian families, including more than 7,000 in just the electorate of Longman in the seat of Queensland, ensuring real benefits, real help, more support for more Australian families.