Bass electorate
Ms CRUGNALE (Bass) (14:45): (6463) My constituency question is for the Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep. Will the minister please advise how the new $9 billion Best Start, Best Life program will practically benefit my electorate of Bass? Early childhood education and childcare fees are hurting family budgets. Families are spending 20 per cent of their income just to cover these ever-increasing costs, and our system is not working for families, especially women. In fact it is holding them back, taking 26 600 women out of the workforce and costing our economy $1.5 billion per year in lost earnings alone. We also know that access to kindergarten significantly reduces the rates of developmental vulnerability among children. Making kinder free, a hallmark of this program, for three- and four-year-olds will save local parents up to $2500. I thank the minister for her ongoing commitment to early childhood education and of course welcome her any time to visit my electorate.