QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator WALSH (Victoria—Minister for Early Childhood Education and Minister for Youth) (15:04): The coalition had a decade to expand access to quality early learning for families across Australia, and instead they cut the most disadvantaged children off from child care with their punitive and nasty activity test. They never made an investment like this to support communities who were locked out of early learning.

Instead, they just decided to lock more children out of early learning. Of course, One Nation would never make an investment like this either. At the National Press Club, Senator Hanson questioned why we even needed 'people with some sort of degree to look after a child'.

She also questioned why educators needed another pay rise, which I hope will pass the parliament this week. That tells you everything you need to know about the attitude of those opposite to early learning. They won't deliver this sort of real change for families, for children or for communities.

Only a Labor government is building more quality not-for-profit services where families need them the most. Senator Wong: I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.