CHILDCARE POLICY MASKS PROBLEMS

WILL Labor’s childcare policy really benefit those who need it most and how are they going to pay for it?

Just over a month in government and we can already see the Australian Labor Party implementing their agenda of bigger government to increase the dependence of Australians on support and services with a policy that will cost $63bn over the next decade.

The Coalition believes in choice. We believe that Australian families should have the choice to use childcare services and we support families who may not be able to meet the full cost of those services by providing subsidies so all Australians have equal opportunity to participate in the workforce and raise a family, without sacrificing necessities.

The biggest issue with Labor’s policy is that they have masked it as a solution to all the problems faced within the childcare sector as if it will have no economic impact long term. Subsidising high income families with a household income of up to $530,000 will not necessarily uplift the participation rate.

Where’s the modelling? If not, the cost will ultimately be carried by those very families who need it most; low-middle income families on or below $130,000.

When a child is subsidised to use a childcare service it is not just meant to benefit the child.

The advantage of the subsidy allows and encourages a parent to return to work, which positively impacts our economy through the taxes that parents then contribute on re-entry to the workforce.

The output of the subsidy and the cost associated with it should have a positive impact on our economy through workforce participation improvements, which bolster the Early Childhood Education sector’s ability to provide good quality education.

If workforce participation does not increase under Labor’s policy, then it is just another cash splash that low-middle income families will have to repay in the form of more taxes further down the track.

The Coalition government had a means-tested policy aimed at getting more Australians into work, especially women.

It provided families with greater choice to use a childcare service.

I will be fighting for a balanced and sensible outcome in parliament to ensure families, businesses, and children all benefit from the early childhood education sector.

Angie Bell MP is Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education and Shadow Minister for Youth