Tuesday, 17 March 2026

 Ben CARROLL (Niddrie – Minister for Education, Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC) (14:21): We know that families are facing cost-of-living challenges and pressures. That is why Labor is supporting families to ease cost-of-living pressures through initiatives like our free school breakfast program and our more affordable uniform policy. Do you know how many free school breakfasts have been delivered under the Labor government? 65 million school breakfasts. That is not just 65 million meals; that is 65 million breakfasts for kids to get the food, the calmness and the full tummy at school that they need and deserve. But also it means for those 65 million breakfasts those parents do not have to pay for or prepare the breakfast for their child going to school. It is a really important Labor initiative. On average our school breakfast program is saving families some $250 a year. When I recently joined the hardworking member for Ashwood out at Mount Waverley Secondary College we heard firsthand from families and students what the school breakfast program means. Young student Zahan said it best: ‘You can’t learn with an empty stomach.’

We are not stopping there. With our school uniform policy we have made sure, through our changes to the dress code policy, that parents can purchase a school uniform at their local shop and do not have to travel to an expensive uniform shop. Our leadership on school uniform policy has seen us take away school logos on shorts, socks – anything under the waist that does not need a logo should not have a logo. It is a direct measure that is going to the heart of cost-of-living pressures. That is why we are happy to see that more than $160 for a family with two kids through our policy changes on school uniforms is going directly into the back pocket of families. That is why Victorian families need a Labor government, because only Labor is doing the hard work right here in Victoria to make sure we deliver continued new cost-of-living relief for families right here in the Education State.