PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS
Ms FERNANDO (Holt) (12:58): As a new mum and a working mum, I know just how important early childhood educators are to families like mine. In Holt, almost one in four residents is under the age of 14. We are one of Australia's youngest electorates, filled with hardworking families juggling work, school drop-offs and everything in between.
For those families, affordable, accessible, high-quality early childhood education isn't a luxury; it's essential. Yet, for far too long, the workforce, who are overwhelmingly women, that cares for and educates our youngest Australians has been underpaid and undervalued. That is why I was so proud to welcome the Prime Minister, alongside Minister Clare and Minister Walsh, to Goodstart Early Learning in Hampton Park earlier this month to announce that the Albanese Labor government is permanently locking in a 15 per cent wage increase for more than 200,000 early childhood educators across our country.
That includes more than 1,600 educators who call Holt home, supporting thousands of local children to learn, grow and thrive while giving parents the confidence to participate in the workforce. This $3.6 billion investment means a full-time educator will now earn around $255 more each week than before our government's first wage increase, while an early childhood teacher will earn around $410 more each week.
From Clyde to Cranbourne, Narre Warren South to Tooradin, these educators help shape the next generation every single day. They nurture curiosity, build confidence and give our youngest Australians the strongest possible start in life. When we value the people who educate our children, we strengthen families, support our workforce and invest in the future of our country.
Senator Hanson's address to the National Press Club could not have made clearer the choice facing our country. While she was promoting a vision of Australia built on division, fear and the 'monoculture', the Prime Minister was with me in Holt, meeting local community leaders from across our community. Melbourne's outer south-east is one of the most culturally diverse parts of our nation.
Walk through Hampton Park, Cranbourne or Clyde and you'll meet people whose families come from every corner of the world all contributing to our local community. I know this because I am one of them. I was born in Sri Lanka and came to Australia with my family when I was 11 years old.
Like so many families across Holt, my parents worked incredibly hard to build a better future. Today they can watch their daughter stand in this parliament, representing the community that gave us that opportunity. But this is not just my story.
It is the story of tens of thousands of people across Holt, people who chose Australia, people who work hard, people who are raising families, people who volunteer and people who are building businesses, Labor believe our multiculturalism is one of Australia's greatest strengths. One Nation want to divide Australians based on where they were born or where their families came from, and the Liberal Party continue to back their view.
The Albanese Labor government will always stand up for multicultural Australia. We will always back communities like those in Holt, because, no matter where you were born, what language your parents speak or what faith you practice, if you work hard and contribute to this country, you belong. That is the Australia I believe in and that is the Australia this government is building.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Wilkie ): The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.