2022-05-08
Media Release
Greens Leader Adam Bandt will use Mothers Day to announce that free childcare will be on the party’s shortlist in balance of power, with analysis of the Greens’ plan suggesting it would cost an achievable $2b a year more than Labor’s childcare plan.
Just one of the Greens’ announced savings measures - ending fossil fuel subsidies - would cover this additional cost several times over, without the next government having to impose any new taxes on everyday people.
Mr Bandt said while Labor had a plan to make childcare more affordable, many families would still miss out, and that for an additional $2.0-2.9b a year it was worth going the extra step and treating childcare like public schools, making childcare and kinder free for all parents.
Childcare was made free by the government during the height of the COVID pandemic.
A Greens analysis of the difference between the Labor and Greens’ policies reveals that for an increased investment of $2.0-2.9 billion per year on Labor’s program, childcare and kinder could be genuinely free. While Labor has not released full costings of its proposal, pre-Budget estimates from the government put the cost at $6.3b per year,1 and pre-Budget estimates from Labor at $5.4bn.2
A pre-Budget Parliamentary Budget Office costing of the Greens’ free childcare and kinder policy puts the cost over a decade at $83b, which is an average of $8.3b per year.
The Opposition’s childcare policy will see a middle income family with each parent earning $80,000, pay $46 a day.3
With support for the Greens increasing and a minority parliament increasingly likely, the Greens have already indicated that no new coal and gas, affordable housing and dental and mental health into Medicare will be negotiation priorities for the party, and that the party is set to release their full shortlist before polling day.
Ending fossil fuel subsidies would raise $98b over a decade, according to the Parliamentary Budget Office.
Quotes attributable to Mr Bandt
“A vote for the Greens is a vote to kick the Liberals out and make childcare free.
“For an additional $2-3b a year we can make childcare free for everyone.
“Childcare is too expensive, which restricts women’s choices and puts families under financial pressure.
“For less than what the government gives in handouts to the likes of Clive Palmer, we could have free childcare for all.
“In this election contest between a terrible government and a visionless opposition, the Greens’ support is rising and we’re on track to be in the balance of power, where we’ll kick the Liberals out and push for free childcare, funded by ending the handouts to billionaire coal and gas corporations.”
Learn More:
Greens plan: Free Early Childhood Education & Care
- https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/labors-90-per-cent-childcare-subsidy-plan-will-cost-taxpayers-billions-as-rich-benefit/news-story/ec9e7f40a22d38fa230e775020db4b0c
- https://www.alp.org.au/policies/cheaper-child-care
- https://grattan.edu.au/news/explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-major-parties-new-childcare-policies/