Yesterday Labor joined with the Coalition, Greens and Independents to support a motion calling for the reinstatement of $12m in Commonwealth support for occasional care.
Federal Member for Wannon, Dan Tehan, has welcomed the Gillard Government voting in favour of a motion to restore funding for Australia’s occasional childcare services.
On 28 July this year, Warrnambool Uniting Church Occasional Care Coordinator, Liz Sparrow, was the Principal Petitioner of a national petition which called on the Federal Labor Government to reinstate the federal occasional care funding they had slashed.
The petition was launched in Warrnambool following an invitation by Federal Member for Wannon, Dan Tehan, for the Hon Sussan Ley, the Shadow Minister for Childcare and Early Childhood Learning, to visit the Uniting Church Occasional Childcare Centre in Warrnambool.
Yesterday Labor joined with the Coalition, Greens and Independents to support a motion calling for the reinstatement of $12m in Commonwealth support for occasional care.
The third point of the motion put forward by Ms Ley stated that the Commonwealth should restore $12m in funding for the occasional care program.
“Labor voted in favour of this motion and now needs to be true to its word, and back its vote with the $12m that is needed. If Labor does not provide this funding after voting to support it in the Parliament, they are treating the Parliament with absolute contempt,” Mr Tehan said.
Mr Tehan says he is grateful for the Childcare Minister’s change of heart on the issue, and looks forward to a funding announcement as a matter of priority.
“Currently in Victoria, there are up to 9000 families and 200 occasional care centres due to lose any form of government support for this service in just over a month. I have been personally contacted by many local occasional childcare providers deeply concerned about the Gillard Government’s cuts to funding for this program,” Mr Tehan said.
The Opposition hopes this vital $12m package, removed from the 2010 and 2011 Federal budgets, will be restored in the Government’s approaching Mid Year Economic (MYEFO) review which is expected to be announced before Christmas.
Media Contact: Lisa Downs 03 5561 6405 or 0400 192 205
Copyright © 2010 : Authorised by Dan Tehan, 190 Gray St, Hamilton VIC 3300
Disclaimer | Privacy | Contact
Design by Tin Shed Creations
