Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Education and Youth, Senator Reynolds. Trent from Carlton in Sydney has been told by his childcare centre that they have been forced to continue charging all parents during the lockdown, regardless of whether their children are attending, because they've received no financial assistance from the Morrison government. Trent has said, 'It's absolutely disgusting.' Why is the Morrison government refusing to provide support for childcare centres in Sydney?

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Government Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Ayres for that question. I completely refute the premise of the question. This government is doing all it can to back families and the childcare sector again during this pandemic and has acted swiftly to ensure appropriate mechanisms are in place. For example, for families, we are allowing services to waive out-of-pocket costs and have extended the number of days families are allowed to keep children absent before they lose access to the childcare subsidy; for childcare businesses, the Commonwealth has partnered with the New South Wales government to facilitate swift support through JobSaver to help businesses meet payroll costs if they've experienced a 30 per cent decline in revenue; and for childcare workers—a critical workforce in our economy, which I know all of us in this place acknowledge—where a worker has had their hours reduced they are eligible to apply for the COVID disaster payment of up to $750 a week.

Importantly, in Greater Sydney, child care remains fully open and available to families, but we know that some families are choosing not to use care, including because of changes in their work patterns. From 19 July, services in Greater Sydney are allowed to waive the parents' component of the childcare fee when children are not attending. This provides a twofold benefit. Firstly, families benefit from the reduction in out-of-pocket costs if they are not using child care. For example, a family on $110,000 a year using three days a week of care for two children would save $178 a week during this difficult time. Secondly, to further support families in this situation, we are also providing additional allowable absences for the duration of the lockdown period—currently until 28 August this year. This mechanism means that families can keep children away from child care without losing their entitlement to the subsidy because of those absences.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ayres, a supplementary question?

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] One Sydney childcare provider struggling to stay afloat through the lockdown was told by the department of education to just stand down staff to save money. Is this the official position of the Morrison government?

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Government Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again I thank you for the question. Of course not. What a ridiculous question! This government has done everything it can—last year and this year—to provide support to Australian workers. Nearly $2 billion has been paid to a million Australians subject to current lockdowns. This government is doing everything it can in the best possible way to support Australian workers.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ayres, a final supplementary question?

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] The Morrison government has ignored pleas for support from childcare workers in the middle of a lockdown. As late as last week it was hounding families in Sydney's lockdown—who had received the historic childcare subsidy—for debts into the thousands. Who is responsible for this decision to pursue these families struggling in the Prime Minister's lockdown in Sydney?

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Government Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again, I utterly reject the premise of the question. It is completely and utterly false. As I said in my primary answer, we are doing everything we can for impacted families with children in child care, for the childcare centres themselves and for the workers.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Reynolds. I have Senator Wong on a point of order.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a point of order on direct relevance. The last supplementary actually went to responsibility for the decision to pursue families in Sydney for debts related to the childcare subsidy.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Unless I misheard, I did hear the minister disagree with that assertion. I will listen carefully, but I take at face value what I hear, and I think that answer is directly relevant.

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Government Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I have said, I utterly reject the premise of the question. If there are any families receiving benefits who are doing it tough, they can always contact my agency, Services Australia, to seek relief and support. There are many measures available for families in that circumstance, and, as I said in response to the primary question, we are doing absolutely everything we can to help families, to help workers and to help businesses, in conjunction with the New South Wales government.