Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Early Childhood Education, Senator Walsh. Addisons family day care, located in Latrobe, currently supports 50 children from 37 families, operating as a multi-educator family day care service—two services operating out of two different divided facilities on one site, having done so for over 15 years. An arbitrary review of regulations by your department will mean that these 37 families and 50 children will no longer have access to multi-educator family day care if this is no longer permitted. Why is the government closing family day care services for these 50 children and 37 families when access to service in the Latrobe area is so limited and the waiting time for places is over one year?

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

():  Thank you, Senator Colbeck. I'm not familiar with the case that you've raised with me—a family day care provider in, I think you said, the Latrobe Valley. I think you said—

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, Latrobe municipality.

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

Latrobe. Tasmania. I think you said there may be proceedings underway to close that facility. I'm not aware of that matter, Senator Colbeck. If there's more information that I can provide you with about that specific matter, I will.

What I will say is that the government is committed to providing Australians with more safe and quality early childhood education across the country. We know that there are many places in the country where families just don't have access to quality early childhood education, be that in long day care settings or be that in family day care settings. That is why we are implementing the findings of the Productivity Commission review which we commissioned, including to build more quality early learning in places that need it most, including our outer suburbs and our regional areas. We have a billion-dollar fund to invest in quality early education and to do that in places that are underserved so that more Australian families can have the benefits of quality early education.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Colbeck, first supplementary?

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Abracadabra family day care centre in Devonport in Tasmania has been operating as a multi-educator facility for over 20 years, supporting 33 children from 25 families. The waiting time for a childcare place is also over one year. Minister, why is a government reinterpretation of the regulations closing services for these 33 children from 25 families in an area of childcare shortage, with waiting lists over a year long?

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

():  Thanks very much, Senator Colbeck. I refer you to my previous answer, which is that I'm not familiar with the case that you've raised with me. I'm happy to try to find further information for you to assist those families. If you'd like to provide me with the material that you have, I'm happy to find out more for you.

Again, we are committed to families having access to quality early childhood education around the country, no matter their postcode and no matter what the parents do. 'No matter their postcode' really means that we are investing in early education in the places that need it most, and 'no matter what the parents do' means that we are replacing the punitive activity test put in place by the coalition and guaranteeing three days early education for all. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Colbeck, second supplementary?

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Walsh, in her first answer, talked about implementing the recommendations of the Productivity Commission review. Recommendation 5.3 of the Productivity Commission report specifically supports enabling two family day care centre educators to operate from a single venue, to improve accessibility and sustainability of these services in these communities. Why are you not supporting that recommendation, impacting on the accessibility of child care in my local communities?

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

You referred to the Productivity Commission review in your final supplementary, Senator Colbeck. We are doing more on early childhood education than you did on your 10 years in government, including commissioning that report and implementing that report. That report called for a workforce investment, and we are investing $3.6 billion.

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order on direct relevance. My reference was to the operation of multiservice childcare centres and the rules around using that specifically, particularly in my community, and also the Productivity Commission recommendation that directly referred to that element, so perhaps the minister might like to come back to the question instead of having a crack at the opposition for something.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister is being relevant to the question, and I'll call the minister again to continue answering the question.

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

You did mention the Productivity Commission report, Senator Colbeck. We are implementing the findings of that report, including investing $3.6 billion in the wages of early childhood educators, which is the most significant measure that could be taken to stabilise the workforce, provide quality early education and provide families with access to care, unlike those opposite. The only thing you ever did in office was restrict access for children to early education. (Time expired)