Steph Hodgins-May (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Early Childhood Education. Minister, last night's chilling Four Corners episode revealed that paedophiles are using the dark web to share detailed manuals on how to infiltrate childrens centres, abuse children and avoid detection. It identified almost 150 educators who have been convicted, charged or accused of sexual abuse or other inappropriate conduct in centres between 2021 and 2024. And it found that the abuse overwhelmingly occurs in for-profit centres, where cost cutting, high staff turnover and weak supervision combine to create a 'perfect storm'. Given the severity of these revelations and the fact that children's safety is directly at stake, why did you not, as the relevant minister, appear on Four Corners to answer questions about these crises in our childcare system?

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

Thank you, Senator. The reports last night and over the last couple of days have been absolutely horrific and absolutely confronting. They really have been every parent's worst nightmare. What is important of course is that we put in place a strong and comprehensive package of measures to help keep children safe in early childhood education, and that is exactly what we have done.

In answer to your specific question, Senator, I have appeared on the ABC five times on this topic, talking about this strong and comprehensive package of reforms that we are delivering. One of the aspects of the reports last night and over the last couple of days was the scale of the issues that we are facing, which are significant and horrific. Of course our job in the early childhood education and care portfolio is to make sure that we can support those educators and providers who are doing the right thing and shut the door on those educators and providers who are out there seeking to do harm. We stood shoulder to shoulder with our state and territory counterparts back in August and delivered a strong and comprehensive package of reform, including the first-ever nationwide register of early childhood educators and mandatory training for early childhood educators.

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

Senator Hodgins-May, first supplementary?

Steph Hodgins-May (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, you keep saying your focus is on quality, but the ABC has repeatedly exposed for-profit providers where profit comes before safety and where cost cutting and high staff turnover are putting children at risk. Non-profit centres regularly exceed quality standards because they invest in educators, not shareholders. When will you start listening to educators, parents and the evidence and stop putting the profits of private equity ahead of our children's safety?

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

You talked, in your question there, about for-profit providers. We have been clear that our message to providers who put profit ahead of child safety is that they need to lift their game or leave the sector. That's why, as a parliament, we passed strong legislation to make sure we can withdraw Commonwealth childcare subsidies from those providers who do put profit ahead of safety. But I would also draw your attention to some of the reporting from Ms Ferguson this week, who pointed out that not all 'for-profit centres are bad and all non-profit centres are good, or smaller providers are necessarily better than those owned by larger corporations'. Our priority is to keep children safe wherever they are in early learning.

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

Senator Hodgins-May, a second supplementary?

Steph Hodgins-May (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, the New South Wales and ACT branch of the Independent Education Union of Australia says the ECEC workforce is in crisis and overwhelmed by low pay, burnout and staff shortages. We know the Fair Work Commission's expert panel has already issued a provisional decision recommending pay rises of up to 28.4 per cent. Given the current educator retention payment ends in November 2026, will you commit to funding the Fair Work Commission's decision, including full wage parity to retain experienced staff, stem the exodus of educators and safeguard children's care? (Time expired.)

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

We know that early childhood educators are absolutely the best asset that we have in keeping children safe and delivering quality early childhood education. That is why we are the government who have delivered a historic 15 per cent pay rise to this incredibly hardworking workforce. These are the people, 99.9 per cent of them, who are going in every day to do the best job they can to keep Australian children safe, to care for them and to educate them. Under those opposite, they were undervalued for 10 long years. They were underpaid for 10 long years. We are the government who have provided a 15 per cent pay rise, and it is paying dividends not just for the educators themselves, who can now afford to stay in jobs that they love, but also for the children in their care, by providing them with a stable, long-term, quality workforce. It is our government who has delivered that.