2024-05-15
Greens Early Childhood Education and Care spokesperson Senator Steph Hodgins-May has criticised the Government’s decision to trumpet a surplus over meaningful childcare reform as out of touch and disappointing for parents and families across Australia.
Lines attributable to Greens Early Childhood Education and Care spokesperson, Senator Steph Hodgins-May:
“Labor has trumpeted a $9.3 billion surplus during a cost of living crisis, while families are sleeping in their cars and struggling to feed their kids and pay for childcare.
“Early childhood education and care is too expensive and too hard to access. It’s completely indefensible that the Government is maintaining the punitive and universally despised Childcare Subsidy activity test.
"The Albanese Government will continue to punish families and children with the activity test, which locks thousands of the most disadvantaged children out of accessing early childhood education and care and keeps so many women out of the workforce.
“Early childhood education and care is an essential service which should be free, just like school is. Childcare fees across all services have grown faster than inflation and wages, and there is nothing in this budget to address that.
“While the budget commits to a future pay rise for early childhood educators, what’s not clear is how much that will be.
“The hard work and expertise of childcare educators deserves a pay rise now. I’ll continue to fight for them to receive the recognition and pay that they deserve.”