Preschool Services

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:51): My question is to the Treasurer. What contingencies has the Treasurer provided from the 2026 calendar year onwards for the delivery of universal access for three year olds and preschool. With your leave, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: In the budget past, there was $2 million in the budget for the royal commission into early childhood and related matters. There was no extra money for preschool. Julia Gillard, in the media last week or earlier this week, confirmed that one of the outcomes of the royal commission will be cost identifications for the delivery of three-year-old preschool from the year 2026.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Treasurer) (14:52): I thank the member for Morialta for his question. They say a good opposition makes a good government. It seems in this case a good government makes a good opposition—finally we are getting some questions from the deputy leader at the death knell of the parliamentary sitting week, after some goading about not asking questions in his portfolio area for many parliamentary sitting weeks.

The answer, had the member for Morialta listened to any proceedings of the estimates processes in all of the years that he has been in parliament, would be consistent, and that is that the government of the day of course doesn't reveal its contingencies. It outlines for the current financial year in the budget papers allocations in general terms for employee expenses, for infrastructure expenses and supplies and services, but we certainly don't project that particularly for operating expenses across a four-year period.