Wednesday, 12 August 2026

 Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:11): I rise to update the house on another major milestone for the Carroll Labor government’s free kinder initiative. And what a milestone it is, with well over half a million Victorian children having now benefited from free kinder. For families, free kinder means more money back in their pockets, with the program now providing over $5000 in savings per child across the kinder journey. It also means that parents and –

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: As much as I could hear the minister, I do not think she was being provocative. The minister has a right to do her ministers statement in silence. I will ask for the clock to be reset if it has not been already.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: I rise to update the house on another major milestone for the Carroll Labor government’s free kinder initiative. And what a milestone it is, with well over half a million Victorian children having now benefited from free kinder. For families, free kinder means more money back in their pockets, with the program now providing over $5000 in savings per child across the kinder journey. It also means that parents and carers can get back to work or study if they choose. And, importantly, it means that every child can get the best start in life.

Because good news is meant to be shared, I have got a few numbers for those opposite. I am spoilt for choice, but let us start with the growing communities in the south-east. Mrs Hermans might be interested to learn that more than 78,000 children have accessed free kinder in the south-east, including more than 7500 in the electorate of Dandenong and 9000 in Pakenham. On the other side of our state, Mrs McArthur and Mr McCracken will be thrilled to hear that free kinder has benefited more than 70,000 children across the Western Victoria Region, including more than 6500 in each of the electorates of Geelong and Wendouree. And if, in Mr McCracken’s words, free kinder is a marketing ploy, then perhaps Mr Mulholland may well like to consider becoming an ambassador because free kinder is available in Kalkallo in Northern Metro in particular, with more than 15,000 children in the Kalkallo electorate benefiting.

Despite the record numbers of children benefiting from free kinder, those opposite do not want to be ambassadors for our littlest learners. They want to cut free kinder. The Leader of the Opposition has written to me advocating for kinders to charge fees, because it is lost on the Leader of –

David Davis: On a point of order, President, this is just a silly attack. It is nonsense. What is required in a ministers statement is that a minister be factual. This is not factual, this is a fantasy. This is rubbish. It is not factual –

Michael Galea: On a further point of order, President, I realise that Mr Davis is a very thin-skinned about the fact that the Liberal–One Nation coalition will cut free kinder for Victorian students, but that does not mean that you can make up stuff about what the minister is saying.

The PRESIDENT: I am happy to rule on it. Both of those were not points of order. The standing orders say that a minister can make a statement, and that is what the minister is doing. The minister may have provoked the response at the end there, so I gave people leeway as far as making noise goes.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: It is absolutely factual that the Leader of the Opposition has written to me advocating for kinders to be able to charge fees, and I am happy to table the letter. Perhaps it is lost on the Leader of the Opposition that in her very own electorate of Kew more than 3600 children have accessed free kinder. When the Liberals talk about cuts, Victorians should not just take their word for it, they should look at their record. When those opposite were last in government they shut TAFEs, privatised hospitals and slashed funding for schools, and now they are coming after free kinder.