Julian Leeser MP
Shadow Minister for Education
Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians
Federal Member for Berowra
Senator Matt O’Sullivan
Shadow Minister for Choice in Childcare and Early Learning
Shadow Minister for Child Protection and the Prevention of Family Violence
Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate
Senator for Western Australia
Labor’s non-announcement today about a national Early Education and Care Commission fails to explain how a single child will be safer, a single worker better supported, or a single family better off.
The Coalition knows safety is the first and top priority for families and supports strong safeguards to keep children safe childcare settings.
However, there is no detail in today’s media release that explains what a new bureaucracy would do or how it would lead to better outcomes for children or their families.
Shadow Minister for Education, Julian Leeser MP said the Albanese Government has now presided over failings on childcare across five budget cycles.
“The government needs to explain how establishing a new bureaucracy on top of the nine existing state, territory and federal regulators will protect a single child” Mr Leeser said.
“Across the country, we have seen persistent childcare deserts, significant safety concerns, and rising costs for families,” Mr Leeser said.
“Fees have risen by 27 per cent since Labor came to power. Almost 40 per cent of services now charge above the hourly rate cap as they struggle to keep up with soaring costs.
“The average full-time childcare place is now $36,000 a year and Labor no longer provides priority to working families,” he said.
Each state and territory already has a childcare regulator, and at a national level the Australian Children’s Education, Care and Quality Authority (ACECQA) is responsible for national standards. It is unclear what the new, additional Commission would do and, critically, how creating another layer of bureaucracy leads to safer outcomes for children in care.
Senator Matt O’Sullivan, Shadow Minister for Choice in Childcare and Early Learning, said “the Government has framed this announcement around child safety but has provided very little detail about what practical powers or reforms this commission would introduce to prevent future failures or strengthen protections on the ground.”
“Providers across the country are already telling us the system is overly complex and weighed down by regulation. The priority should be about making it easier for quality providers to deliver safe, high-quality care and the flexibility families need, not simply creating another administrative body without clear powers or responsibilities.”
The Coalition will closely consider any detail that emerges. However, there are already key questions which remain unanswered:
- What powers would this commission actually have?
- How would this new commission interact with existing state and territory regulators?
- What specifically would this commission do that current regulators cannot?
- What new funding would be required to establish a Commission?
“The last thing this sector needs is a toothless tiger that adds more red tape while failing to improve safety outcomes in practice,” Senator O’Sullivan said.
“Today’s announcement will do nothing to help families struggling with the skyrocketing cost of childcare, families unable to access care, or parents crying out for greater flexibility and choice.”
[ENDS]