Wednesday, 17 June 2026

 Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:38): I rise to update the house on the successful rollout of the Allan Labor government’s kinder kits initiative. We are ensuring that every child, no matter their background, is receiving access to free learning materials so they can continue their learning at home. Since 2022 more than 300,000 children have received a kinder kit, and this year’s kits were delivered to some 70,000 children. These kits are provided to all children attending a funded three-year-old free kinder program. I would say free kinder saves families across their kinder journey over $5000, not an insignificant amount. Through a carefully selected range of books, toys and games, children and their families can play and learn at home. As highlighted by our updated Victorian early years learning and development framework, supporting learning at home is critical for the development of each individual child.

You will forgive me if I was staggered yesterday to hear those opposite, who I would note are yelling out right now in their opposition to these kinder kits, label them as a bribe. Mrs Hermans indeed said that there was no training offered by the government for items such as playdough, crayons and threading beads to help children count. I will help Mrs Hermans ascertain exactly how much it counts. Budget paper 3 – one, two, three –

The PRESIDENT: Minister! Prop.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: on page 13 – one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine –

The PRESIDENT: Minister, please.

Ann-Marie Hermans: On a point of order, President, yesterday when I was holding up my notes to be able to speak I was accused of having a prop, yet you have allowed in this place a very obvious prop that the minister has been holding up for quite some time, which is completely inappropriate and against standing orders.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: On the point of order, President –

The PRESIDENT: I do not know how you are going to come back on the point of order.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: On the point of order, President, I know it would take many more counting beads to count the cuts that those opposite would make.

The PRESIDENT: I will rule on the point of order. The use of props is not allowed. Mrs Hermans, you said I allowed this prop. I was calling out to the minister and everyone was yelling and she could not hear me, but I was going to ask the minister to refrain from using props and continue with her ministers statement.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: Mrs Hermans might also be interested to know that the tool is made in her community in Rowville. Perhaps these very threading beads, which teach children everything from motor skills to how to count, might be put to good use. But as I said in my point of order response, it would take many more counting beads to count the cuts those opposite would make to free kinder and that those opposite would make to kinder kits. The Leader of the Opposition has previously written to me asking for the right to charge fees instead of free kinder, and now they want to take kinder kits too.