Address to the House of Representatives, Statements by Members

Tuesday 20 August 2024

It's often said that it takes a village to raise a child, yet there are few roles more vital in that community than those of early childhood education and care workers. I've had the opportunity to speak with many of these workers across my electorate, such as those at the Wonderschools in Woden and Conder and Jenny Wren Early Learning in Mawson, and consistently I've heard that they love their work but that, without support for a meaningful wage increase, many early educators could not remain in the sector. That's why it was great to meet with early education workers here in Parliament House last Tuesday to discuss this government's funding of a 15 per cent wage increase. By supporting these workers, the government is also supporting families and the broader community, as a thriving and accessible early childhood education sector provides more opportunity not only for the next generation but for working parents as well. This commitment will help retain our existing educators and attract new employees for generations to come. This is a win—a win for workers, a win for families, a win for communities and, most importantly, a win for our most precious resource, our children.