Page 5783 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 7 December 2011
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develop a childcare sector which is responsive and accessible to the people of the ACT. I commend the motion to the Assembly.
MS BURCH (Brindabella—Minister for Community Services, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Women and Minister for Gaming and Racing) (11.23): I do thank Mrs Dunne for bringing on this motion because it gives me an opportunity to highlight some of the work that the ACT early education sector and the government have done over the last two years to ensure that we do have smooth transition to the national standards from 1 January next year. The ACT government’s work with the sector and the investments we have made do stand in stark contrast to the Canberra Liberals who, similar to their federal “no-alition” colleagues, have done nothing but oppose the investments we have made.
The ACT government has worked with the sector to prepare for these reforms. I have held a number of roundtables to discuss with the sector where they need support, and from these discussions we have seen a number of policies arise that have gone directly to supporting the sector transition to the national standards. The ACT Labor government is investing $9 million to upgrade centres across Canberra, an investment which will result in over 170 childcare places as they come online, plus improve the facilities. This is how the ACT Labor government has listened to the sector. We have listened and we have responded.
The government has also committed $785,000 over two years for an early scholarship program, which will assist childcare workers in the ACT to meet the minimum qualification requirements of the framework and encourage new people into the childcare industry. This scholarship program will commence in January next year and provide up to 75 places for new and existing educators.
Canberra families have told us that they want more childcare options, and we have delivered in the 2011-12 budget, through the Education and Training Directorate, to build a Franklin early childhood school, which will incorporate a 120-place childcare centre. We have committed over $7 million to build a 125-place childcare-based centre at Holder on the south side for families and for the new communities of Molonglo. We are also releasing five sites for childcare across the ACT. We have listened to the sector and to the families and we are delivering. And the sector have welcomed these initiatives and they are ready for the reforms.
The Canberra Liberals, it would seem, have not been listening to the other states and territories. All states and territories, with WA having introduced this, whether Labor or Liberal governments, have implemented and are endorsing and are implementing these reforms. It seems that all of Australia is on board, except the Canberra Liberals.
What the Canberra Liberals have put forward, their sole childcare policy, is a centralised waiting list. This waiting list will do nothing to address the cost pressures for families, it will do nothing to improve childcare availability for families and the waiting lists under the Canberra Liberals, given that they are not prepared to do anything else, will just get longer and longer.
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