2024-09-18
The Australian Greens have called on the Government to take immediate action on reforming Australia’s early childhood education and care system, following the release of the Productivity Commission’s report A path to universal early childhood education and care today.
Australian Greens Early Childhood Education and Care spokesperson Senator Steph Hodgins-May welcomed the Productivity Commission’s support for a universal system that has been championed by the Greens for decades and said there’s no excuse for any further delay.
Lines attributable to Greens Early Childhood Education and Care spokesperson, Senator Steph Hodgins-May:
“The Productivity Commission report lays a roadmap on how to fix Australia’s broken early years education system and move towards universal childcare. Now the question is: When will Labor finally deliver?
“With rents nearly doubling the rate of wages, food prices rising nearly 20 percent in the last four years - families need as much support as they can get right now.
“The Albanese Government has had the draft report in its hands since 28 June. Every day that Labor delays implementing these critical early childhood education reforms, kids miss out on early education and parents miss out on important paid work.
“The Australian Greens welcome the report’s calls for all children aged 0-5 years to have at least 30 hours of care per week, increased access for the most disadvantaged and remote communities, removal of the punitive childcare subsidy activity test, and greater inclusivity. These are essential steps towards universal, early years education, which the government could implement today.
”But let’s be clear - early years education is a fundamental right and should be completely free, just like primary and secondary school.
“The Greens have consistently called for free, universally accessible childcare for decades, and while we recognise and support this critical pathway towards universal care as an immediate first step, we must go further."