Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education and Training, Simon Birmingham—ah, that is Senator Simon Birmingham. Can the minister update the Senate on how the government's No Jab, No Pay policy has increased the number of children being immunised?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to 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.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKenzie, a supplementary question.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes. Will the minister advise the Senate of what more can be done to boost immunisation rates in Australia and protect children?

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

The next steps in further boosting vaccination rates are to tackle enrolment policies at preschool and in childcare centres. Currently, there is a patchwork of enrolment policies across Australia, with some states and territories allowing enrolment without vaccination while other states and territories do require vaccination. In New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland there are various legislative measures in place to require vaccination, whilst children do not need to be immunised to enrol at centres in the ACT and in my home state of South Australia or in Western Australia, Tasmania or the Northern Territory. We believe there should be a nationally consistent approach. In the interests of transparency, we also believe that vaccination rates at each childcare centre should be made publicly available. Immunisation is a community obligation as well as a parental obligation. We want to make sure that children are vaccinated and we will work with states and territories to ensure enrolment policies reflect that and further drive up vaccination rates.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKenzie, a final supplementary question.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister outline the role of state and territory governments in ensuring the further success of this policy?

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

The coalition have taken action to ensure that our policies put in place provisions whereby parents who have not immunised their children cannot receive taxpayer support for their child care or, indeed, other payments. But state and territory governments, of course, regulate access to childcare centres and to preschools, and the Prime Minister is now encouraging state premiers and chief ministers to examine ways in which they can strengthen immunisation policies and to build on the success of our No Jab, No Pay policies.

Just over a week ago, the Prime Minister wrote to all state and territory premiers calling on them to address these inconsistencies and to strengthen their requirements where possible. The Prime Minister will raise this matter with state and territory premiers at COAG, because all parents deserve to know if their children are safe, to know that they will be safe when dropping them off at child care. I note and welcome a number of positive reactions since the Prime Minister's announcement, including from some state and territory leaders and, indeed, as most recently as today, the ACT opposition, which is apparently going to push the territory government to strengthen their enrolment policies too. (Time expired)