Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week, early childhood educators made the first ever national application for supported multi-employer bargaining in the Fair Work Commission. In doing that, they made history—with 65 employers and 12,000 educators. It was educators who stood up for the Secure Jobs, Better Pay laws that are actually allowing this to happen.

They told their stories to us here in the parliament, stories about how much they love their work educating future generations and about how hard it is to stay in their jobs because, as they put it, love just does not pay the rent. They told us their stories about their dedication, their professionalism, their commitment to their work and how, despite that, they are still treated and paid like babysitters in our society today. They told us their stories that explain why our essential, highly-skilled educators are leaving the sector in droves—because they just can't afford to stay.

Educators advocated for these laws and now they are making history by taking their case to Fair Work. In doing so, they are standing up for their own professional wages but they are also standing up for the children in their care, who need dedicated, highly-skilled educators to stay in the profession. I am proud to stand with them today, and I congratulate every educator who is part of this, because properly valuing your work will be critical for you and also for all Australian families who rely on your highly-skilled expert work.