Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Early Childhood Education) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Darmanin. Thank you for your advocacy over many years for the women workers of Australia. Today is indeed Early Childhood Educators Day, so today we recognise the extraordinary contribution that early educators make every single day to supporting children and their families, and we thank them for that contribution today and every day. For too long early childhood educators were undervalued, with low pay and high turnover undermining quality and stability for children. Under the Albanese government that has changed, because this government values our early education workforce. We respect them, we recognise them and we are taking action to support them.

We've delivered a historic 15 per cent pay rise, the biggest-ever Commonwealth funded wage increase for this workforce, and it's already paying dividends. Educators are staying longer in their roles, vacancy rates are falling and services are more stable. This is good for children because stable educators mean quality relationships and stronger learning. It's good for families too because we know families want to see the same faces when they drop their children off at early learning. And it's good for the economy, supporting workforce participation, especially for women, and unlocking productivity and growth. Today I met with Leanne, Nazish and Kathy, early childhood educators who told me that, for the first time, they feel their work is properly recognised. They are proud to stay in the sector and to build a career in early childhood education. That is exactly what happens when you have a government that backs early childhood educators.