Attack no substitute for a plan

10-November-2008

Minister Gillard’s decision to launch a personal political attack during Question Time was a sad attempt to deflect attention away from the Government’s failure to outline a clear contingency plan for Australian families attending ABC Childcare Centres, Sophie Mirabella MP, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education and Childcare said today.

“Parents want to know what the Minister, who has had the resources of a Department Taskforce working on this issue for months, actually intends to do to solve this problem,” Mrs Mirabella said.

“Minister Gillard has been saying for weeks that the Government has a contingency plan. It has now been revealed that the extent of that plan is just putting up $22 million to keep the unprofitable Centres afloat and waiting for the new year,” Mrs Mirabella said.

“The Minister couldn’t or wouldn’t identify the 400 ABC learning Centres she says are unprofitable – which suggests the Government is continuing to skirt around a long-term contingency plan.”

“While the Coalition supports the $22 million funding to keep Centres open and provide security for worried parents, Ms Gillard needs to make good on her promise that the Government has a contingency plan - and let Australian parents know exactly what it is.”

“Any long-term plan must surely involve other sectors of the industry. I’m very concerned that the CEO of KU Children’s Services Sheridan Dudley, who runs Australia’s largest not-for-profit childcare group, said at the weekend that she had offered assistance but had not been contacted,” Mrs Mirabella said.

“The dedicated Parliamentary Secretary for Childcare, Maxine McKew, has been silent, the $22 million will run out just after Christmas, and the Government has not even started talking to other major industry players.”

“This doesn’t bode well for the 25,000 – 35,000 children in the 400 or so unprofitable ABC Centres that will be the most likely to close in the new year. But the Government now is basically saying ‘trust us - we’ll get back to you in mid-December.”

“Instead of launching personal attacks in Parliament, the Minister should be providing details of exactly what the Government intends to do in the long-term. Australian parents deserve better than the very sketchy promises and political point-scoring they’re currently getting from Minister Gillard,” Mrs Mirabella concluded.