STATEMENTS BY SENATORS

Senator PAYMAN (Western Australia—Australia's Voice Whip) (13:48): I'm extremely fortunate to be able to bring my daughter, Aaliyah, to Canberra with me. Having her here means I don't have to choose between serving my family and my constituents. Most Australian parents, unfortunately, don't have that choice.

For them, whether they can work depends on finding child care and affording it. Around 82 per cent of working families rely on early childhood education and care. This isn't a luxury for the few.

It's the basic infrastructure that lets Australian families work and live, yet care is increasingly unaffordable or simply unavailable. Nearly a quarter of Australians live in a childcare desert, where three children compete for every place. This hits regional families hardest, forcing them to overpay, travel long distances or go without care and without work.

We know that quality early education gives children a better start in life and that investing early pays dividends for our economy and our community. The problem is we've put profit at the centre of a service that should put children and families first. Care is unaffordable.

Educators remain undervalued and underpaid, while large for-profit providers pocket public investment. Yesterday, the government voted to extend the worker retention payment, but extending a payment is not fixing a system. It won't deliver the relief families and workers actually need nor address the cost and access crisis facing families nationwide.

We need to think differently about child care. It should be affordable, accessible and publicly owned, something families can rely on as essential infrastructure. I call on my colleagues to support my case for a national child care system.

I'm lucky to bring my child to work with me every day, but luck should never determine whether Australian families can work, raise their children and build a secure future.