Wage Justice for Early Childhood Education and Care Workers (Special Account) (Extending Support and Strengthening Safety) Bill 2026

Senator WHITEAKER (Western Australia) (12:17): I am thrilled to speak in favour of the Wage Justice for Early Childhood Education and Care Workers (Special Account) (Extending Support and Strengthening Safety) Bill 2026. I'll never forget my son's first day at his day-care centre in Beeliar. I'll never forget the outfit he was wearing—a really cute pair of striped leggings; a top with hippos, tigers and bears; and a backpack that seemed far too big for such a little boy.

I was nervous, like lots of parents are when they're dropping their kids off at early childhood education for the very first time. I was worried about whether we'd chosen the right centre, whether he would feel the love and the care, and whether he'd get the education that we so deeply wanted him to. I felt guilt about two parents going back to work full time.

But, really, from that very first day, it became clear to me that that all of those worries were unfounded. I want to give a shout out to his day-care educators at Busy Bees in Beeliar, who have done an incredible job of comforting him at times when he's needed it. I think, particularly, of when I first started travelling here to do this job just over a year ago.

He was only two, and that was a big change for him. His educators were such an important part of making that transition easier for him. They talked to him about mummy's new job, mummy going to Canberra and what that meant for him.

They helped him to count down the days until I was coming home. It made such a huge difference to him and also to me. They've encouraged him in his various interests, such as farm animals, that arise, as they do, in toddlers.

For a long time he was a real 'Old Macdonald' fan. I think they played and sang that song to him until they wanted to never hear it again. They have encouraged his love of spooky Halloween monsters and of the Wiggles.

They've taught him to name his feelings, which is something that, possibly, I could have benefited from learning in early childhood education! He tells me when he's feeling angry, sad or happy. His counting is extremely impressive.

He's recognising letters, numbers and colours. Perhaps what I'm most thankful for is their encouragement of his brushing his teeth, because I think any parent in this place or out across the country knows the pain of trying to get a toddler to brush their teeth. It's as though they're being tortured.

His early childhood educators have given him the interest and talked to him about why that's so important, and I'll be forever grateful to them for that. William first started day care in April 2024. Just a few months after that, in August 2024, the Prime Minister announced a $3.6 billion pay rise for early childhood educators—15 per cent above the award.

I was a candidate for the Senate at that point, and it was one of those moments where I felt so proud to be part of this Labor team. Since we backed those wage rises, early childhood educators have been earning up to $410 a week above what they were taking home before. That pay rise makes a world of difference for workers who had waited far too long to see it.

Early childhood educators are some of the hardest working and most patient people in this country. Since coming to this job, some of the best days I've had have been in early childhood education centres, watching the educators do their work and seeing the kids learning and playing with their friends. I've loved talking to educators about the difference that this pay rise has made to them.

They've told me about how much easier it's made the day-to-day cost of living, putting food on the table, helping their own kids get the education that they'd like them to get and putting fuel in the car. What they've also said to me is that it's about the recognition. It's about the government understanding and showing that their work is important and that their work is valued.

I'm really pleased that we have been able to give them that important recognition. We've recognised the dedication, the skill and the hard work that they put in day in and day out in early childhood centres right across the country. You cannot sit in one of those rooms for any period of time and walk out thinking that that work is anything other than skilled work.

Educators in these workplaces are some of the most deserving of a pay rise, but they waited a really long time to get one. For decades they were underpaid—not because the work is easy and not because it doesn't matter but, I think, largely because of who does it. This is a workforce that is overwhelmingly made up of women, and so, sadly, it's no surprise that the sector was overlooked for as long as it was.

But I am proud to be part of a Labor government that has delivered wage justice for these workers—some of the lowest paid but hardest working and most skilled workers in the country. We didn't just hand over the money and hope for the best. We made sure every dollar was passed on to workers for a pay rise without leading to an increase in fees for families.

That's really important because we want to make sure that early childhood educators receive the pay that they deserve but that this doesn't cost families more in fees, which we know are already a challenge for so many families. And it worked. More than 3½ thousand grant agreements were signed between December 2024 and June this year—pretty impressive numbers.

But that funding was due to run out on 30 November, and so this bill makes sure that it doesn't. It credits $3.65 billion to the special account upfront, covering the pay rise all the way through to 30 June 2028. This means the money will keep flowing as the sector needs it and to the workers who need it, rather than hanging on a budget cycle and the uncertainty that that brings year to year.

So educators and services can plan ahead. Importantly, it also puts into law the requirement that national safety standards are met in order to receive payment. I think we can all reflect on some of the terrible and terrifying circumstances, stories and allegations that we've heard from childcare centres across the country and agree that it is so important that our government and all governments place the highest of expectations on the standards and quality of care in our early childhood centres.

There is nothing more important than making sure our children are cared for and safe when we say goodbye to them in the morning. The part that really matters for families is that certainty in the sector—certainty in knowing that their child will be safe when they go to early childhood education and care and in knowing that their children are being taught and cared for by well-paid educators who are happy to stay doing the work over the long term because they feel that their work is valued and recognised and that they are paid in accordance with that value and recognition.

But it's also about providing certainty around fees. I think that's a really important thing to acknowledge. This bill will make sure that the cost of pay rises for educators doesn't fall on families, which will save the average family $1,500 in childcare fees over the next two years.

It's really important that no family have should to choose between going to work and giving their child access to quality early learning. We don't want to see educators at risk of reduced pay, and we don't want to see families at risk of higher out-of-pocket fees. Sometimes the conversations in this place and outside about early childhood educators have been disappointing.

Senator Hanson, of course, went to the National Press Club in June and questioned why childcare centres need people with a degree to look after children at all. She said that our childcare system had gotten out of proportion and that it was ridiculous. But I think it's really important that our eyes are on this place in the coming days as we look to pass this bill.

I hope to see the Liberal Party, the National Party and One Nation vote for a continued wage rise for early childhood educators. Parents right around the country will be watching, because it's an important message. Do Senator Hanson and One Nation back in early childhood educators?

Do they back early childhood educators continuing to receive the pay rise that they so rightly deserve? Senator Hanson will have her opportunity to vote on this bill in the coming days, and I call on her and her colleagues to do the right thing. Actions speak louder than words, and Australians will be paying attention to how they vote on this bill.

In conclusion, I want to finish where I started, which is talking about the childcare centre that my son attends most days. I really want to reinforce the pride that I feel every day walking my son into an early childhood centre in our local community where he is loved, where he is cared for, where he is taught things that I could not teach him, like brushing his teeth happily each day.

These are such valuable lessons, and I can see the difference that it makes in his life every single day. Early childhood educators are part of the village that parents need to be able to do the work that they do in helping our national economy. Our job in this place is to support the workers who allow us to do that.

That is fundamentally what this bill is about. It is about making sure that workers in early childhood centres right across the country are paid what they deserve, and this bill gives them the certainty that they will be.