Rudd Government must come clean on childcare costs

30-March-2009

The Rudd Government must explain to cash-strapped parents exactly who will pay for proposed changes to childcare regulations, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education and Childcare Sophie Mirabella said today.

“The Rudd Government was elected on the promise that they would reduce costs and improve the quality of childcare. Now the Chair of their own Expert Advisory Panel, Professor Alison Elliott, has admitted that “quality childcare is expensive and someone must pay”,” Mrs Mirabella said.

“The proposed staff to child ratios that the Government’s Expert Panel has recommended will potentially add hundreds of dollars to the cost of caring for a child. Who is going to pay?”

“This revelation comes on top of Labor’s failure to deliver on their clear and unequivocal promise to build 260 new Childcare Centres across the country – not one has yet been completed.”

Mrs Mirabella said that Prime Minister Rudd needed to come clean and admit that Labor’s policies will NOT reduce fees as promised, but their insistence on higher qualified staff and better staff ratios would in fact cost families.

“Mr Rudd knew it in 2007 when he admitted, when asked on the Today Show whether fees would be reduced as a result of their policies - "No, no, I’m not saying that at all. In the business of government we don’t run a magic pudding show, you don’t just keep pulling out, someone’s got to pay." (Today Show 30.01.07)

“Professor Elliott has now let the cat out of the bag when it comes to the planned new National Quality Framework – someone must pay. The Rudd Government intend to introduce the new National Quality Framework on the 1st of July this year. They need to start explaining exactly who is going to pay for it – and how much it will cost.”

“It’s disturbing that the Expert Advisory Panel Chair has admitted that they have not even looked at calculating the added costs of their proposals or considered who will pay.”

“Parliamentary Secretary Maxine McKew should explain to concerned parents exactly how Labor intends to deliver on their childcare promises – especially when it comes to making childcare more affordable for working families. “

“It has now been revealed that Labor’s National Quality Framework is likely to do exactly the opposite and put more financial pressure on parents.”

“The Government must come clean and admit that there is no magic pudding – someone will ultimately have to pay for Labor’s childcare agenda. Australian families deserve to know how much it will cost and who will pay,” Mrs Mirabella concluded.