STATEMENTS BY SENATORS

Senator MARIELLE SMITH (South Australia) (13:58): We've just concluded Early Learning Matters Week, a national celebration of the profound impact that early learning has on children, families and communities. To recognise the week, I visited two services in my community and watched in awe as educators encouraged curious minds through water play and transformed a simple tarpaulin into a game of hide-and-seek.

To many, while these moments look like simple acts of play, we know that these acts of play can be transformative. We know that early childhood is one of the single most important levers we have to invest in if we want to lift disadvantage and if we want to improve opportunity in Australia. Investing in those early years is transformational.

It presents every opportunity to grow our productivity. It presents every opportunity to address disadvantage. Simple moments of play, simple moments of singing songs, counting and learning, have an extraordinary role to play in a child's brain development, learning and capability.

That's why our government is investing in a three-day guarantee to ensure that every child who stands to benefit from the extraordinary opportunity of early learning has it. Early learning is an opportunity for children to help their brains grow and develop. For disadvantaged children, it is most important, and I commend the work of Minister Walsh in this Early Learning Matters Week.