Page 1940 - Week 05 - Thursday, 5 May 2011
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They are struggling with the highest cost of childcare in the country—$60 a week more than the national average. And we have seen the increase in childcare of around twice CPI over the last two years, the last two years when childcare has been overseen in this place by Minister Burch.
Canberra families are struggling with the highest water charges in the country, having increased by over 200 per cent in the past 10 years of the Labor government. Canberra families are struggling with the cost of electricity. It has increased by 75 per cent in the last 10 years of the Stanhope Labor government. They are struggling with property rates and charges. They have risen by 82 per cent in the last 10 years of the Stanhope Labor government.
We have heard the government talk about no new taxes and existing tax increases only being by the wage price index. But what we have seen from the examples I have outlined is a really different story to the rhetoric put forward by Minister Gallagher this week. Canberra families are not only struggling because of the pressure on their budgets brought about by the cost of living, Canberra families are also struggling because of this government’s record of sitting on its hands, removing them only to wring them and shake them, and take action only when the pins and needles get too much.
Much of this has come about because of the Canberra Liberals agitating, hammering the table and speaking up for Canberra families. It is the Canberra Liberals who have been listening to the community and doing that agitating, hammering and speaking up on their behalf. So finally we are seeing some budget initiatives that should have been brought forward years ago.
We can start with the pretentious behaviour of the Minister for Children and Young People, in full view, when she stood up in front of the community sector and announced that she was proud that she had secured $60 million for childcare. You might say well done, minister, but in fact $42 million of that came out of the education budget, and most of that is not money that will go to childcare.
Two-and-a-half years ago this government promised two new childcare centres in Canberra when they went to the last election. Only now has this minister switched on the light at the end of the tunnel. It is only after months, possibly years, of the Canberra Liberals’ agitating, thumping and speaking up that Minister Burch has realised that the childcare sector needs the government’s help as it faces the significant challenges of the national quality framework that her government has helped impose upon them.
What of grandparent and kinship care? What of the $800,000 over four years that was promised in the 2008 election? It is only now, 2½ years later, after a lot of pain in the sector, that Minister Burch has been dragged into action, kicking and screaming. It was only after the Canberra Liberals agitated, thumped and spoke up.
Then there is the Bimberi Youth Justice Centre. For months the Canberra Liberals have been bringing the concerns of the community to the table. For months this
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