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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-11-11 Daily Xml
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Early Childhood Education

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (14:59): My question is to the Minister for Education and Child Development. How is the government investing in early childhood education for South Australian children?

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Education and Child Development) (14:59): I thank the member for Florey for this question. Our government has made early childhood a priority since we came into government, and we have been investing a great deal to ensure that our little ones get the best start in life that we can provide them.

Recent modelling by PricewaterhouseCoopers shows that investing in quality early childhood programs, and increasing participation by vulnerable children, is expected to increase the GDP by $23.6 billion to 2050. Here in South Australia, we could expect to benefit in the order of $2 billion. Our government has invested more than $60 million in 42 children's centres across the state, and in the last couple of weeks I have had the pleasure of opening three new centres in South Australia: the Ardtornish Children's Centre at St Agnes, which I know the member for Florey often visits; the Darlington Children's Centre; and, just last Friday, the Clare centre, where I was joined by the member for Frome.

What great centres they all are, providing targeted services for their specific communities, none of which existed when we came to government in 2002. These wonderful children's centres bring together preschool, child health and family support services to meet the needs of local families. We are continuing that investment with an extra $13.7 million to expand the allied health services offered in our children's centres.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is warned.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Sadly, it would appear the Abbott government doesn't share our commitment to early childhood. The federal Liberal government has discontinued the national partnership for Indigenous early childhood development, which has supported the four specific Indigenous children and family centres in Ceduna, Whyalla, Christies Beach and one on the APY lands. They have cut $157 million from the community support program that ensures the viability of family day care.

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order: fortunately, the minister isn't responsible for the Abbott government. The question to her was what she's doing to assist this, not the Abbott government.

The SPEAKER: Well, under section 96 of the constitution, the commonwealth makes grants to the states, presumably for this purpose.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Thank you, sir, that's exactly right. This cut has been estimated by the childcare sector to mean fees will rise by $35 a week, and the 15 hours of preschool under the universal access program has been left hanging by a thread. Finally, after months of refusing to confirm or otherwise whether this program would continue, I received a letter from minister Ley on 15 October advising of a one-year extension; however—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: No, don't verbal me; that is not true.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: That's not true. You need to listen.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: No whoops! You’re wrong, you're absolutely wrong.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: It was a big whoops when you told everybody to vote Labor.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: In fact, I quoted 15 October on radio, if you had listened.

The SPEAKER: It's a very witty interjection by the Treasurer; it's out of order, and he's warned a second and final time. Any further interjections better be worth it.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: I think it was in September that minister Ley put out a press release saying, 'Oh, yes, it's going to continue,' but not until 15 October did we get letter from minister Ley, and it was only a week or so ago—

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: —the final detail arrived.

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is warned.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: The final detail arrived, and it's always in the fine print: the goalposts had shifted. So, it came as quite a surprise when minister Ley made a commitment on radio last Friday to roll over the existing national partnership. This is at odds with the documentation we received and discussions that had been held with commonwealth officials. However, I'm happy to take her at her word: same money, same conditions, same benchmarks, which South Australia had met, but in an abundance of caution—

The SPEAKER: The minister's time has long expired.

Ms CHAPMAN: Supplementary.

The SPEAKER: Supplementary.

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