Lisa Darmanin (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Early Childhood Education, Senator Walsh. Today is Early Childhood Educators Day. It recognises the vital contribution early childhood educators make every single day in supporting our children and families. For too long educators were undervalued, with low pay and high turnover undermining quality and stability for children. When the Albanese Labor government was elected in 2022, educators were leaving in droves. What is the government doing to back early childhood educators and stabilise this essential workforce?

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

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

Senator Darmanin, first supplementary?

Lisa Darmanin (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Walsh. In your answer you spoke about workforce stability in the sector, which is so important. We know that the foundation of quality and safe early education is a good-quality workforce. How is the Albanese Labor government encouraging more workers into the sector and building a pipeline of future educators?

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

I'm pleased to report that the Albanese government is not only backing the educators of today; we are training the educators of tomorrow too. We've delivered over 50,000 free TAFE places for educators, and free TAFE changes lives. I heard just how powerful that is when I met Shae at TAFE Gippsland. Shae is a mother of five and a grandmother of 11. She was retired until she heard about free TAFE. She told me that she still had more to give and that it's never too late to retrain and start again. So she did start again, enrolling in early childhood education. Shae said she couldn't think of a profession that's more important right now, and I couldn't agree more. Free TAFE is not only changing Shae's life; it's helping to give our children the best start in life too. Free TAFE is building our dedicated educator workforce for the children of today and tomorrow. (Time expired)

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

Senator Darmanin, second supplementary?

Lisa Darmanin (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why is it important to create a respected, stable and secure early childhood education workforce that is backed by free TAFE, and what are the consequences of not having a workforce that is respected, stable and secure.

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

We have seen those consequences firsthand before. We saw the coalition's approach during its decade of drift and disdain for early learning. They left behind a workforce crisis. They left the educators without a proper pay rise for ten long years. They called our historic 15 per cent pay rise a 'sugar hit'. They voted against free TAFE, calling it 'wasteful spending'. At the last election, the former shadow minister said that they would abolish free TAFE—hello, Senator Henderson! We all remember Liberal leader Ms Ley declaring, 'If you don't pay for something, you don't value it.' On this side the chamber, we value Australian families, free TAFE and our nation's early childhood educators.