MICHELLE ROWLAND MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR GREENWAY
LABOR WILL FIX AUSTRALIA’S BROKEN CHILDCARE SYSTEM
An Albanese Labor Government will introduce the Working Family Childcare Boost to cut childcare fees and put more money into the pockets of working families.
Announced by the Leader of the Australian Labor Party, Anthony Albanese MP, during his Budget Reply speech, Labor’s childcare policy would reduce childcare costs for 97 per cent of families currently in the system.
“This is more than childcare policy – this is about economic recovery”, Ms Michelle Rowland MP, the Federal Member for Greenway said.
“I have met so many constituents who say they want to work more days a week, but doing so would mean they would be financially worse off due to rising childcare fees”.
“This is about getting more Australians into work to kickstart our economy”, Ms Rowland said.
Since 2013, childcare fees have increased by almost 35 per cent, with families paying on average $3,800 more per year.
“The Blacktown Local Government area has been hit especially hard by these rising fees. Last year’s national increase was 4.5%. In our community, fees jumped a whopping 5.7%”, Ms Rowland said.
Labor’s policy announcement would:
- Scrap the $10,560 childcare subsidy cap which often sees parents losing money from an extra day’s work;
- Lift the maximum childcare subsidy rate to 90 per cent; and
- Increase childcare subsidy rates and taper them for every family earning less than $530,000.
“Anthony Albanese understands just how hard it is for local families, and Labor has a plan to fix it”, Ms Rowland said.
THURSDAY, 15 OCTOBER 2020
