A Cabinet Minister has attempted to justify why Labor needs to spend $11 million of taxpayers' money on the competition watchdog to investigate the increases of childcare costs impacting struggling Australian families.
The 12-month inquiry by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will investigate the costs that have jumped 41 per cent in the last eight years.
The funds, which will be set aside in the Budget for the inquiry set for the beginning of 2023, was raised to Finance Minister Senator Katy Gallagher. " to make child care more affordable for families and allowing more women, well, it's predominantly women, to work extra hours if they want to, and not be disincentivised by the childcare system as it operates now."
She stressed she did not"want to get ahead the work" the ACCC was conducting and stressed Labor will continue to evaluate the costs."We want to make sure the money we're investing and the money that parents are investing is working and child care is as affordable as we can make it." But the government has been pushed by Opposition and the public to bring forward the $5.4 billion commitment, set to come in July 2023, to help families feeling the pinch.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Outgoing Labor MP accuses IBAC, ombudsman of ‘bullying and brutalising’ staffIn her valedictory speech in parliament on Tuesday, the outgoing Kororoit MP addressed a joint IBAC and ombudsman investigation that made adverse findings against her and Adem Somyurek. | sumeyyailanbey
Read more »
Labor abandons nurse-to-patient ratios in favour of safe staffing levelsNSW Labor’s long-held support for mandated nurse-to-patient ratios will be abandoned in favour of minimum and enforceable safe staffing levels in public hospitals, with an initial focus on emergency departments | AlexSmithSMH
Read more »
Labor rejects Australia is ‘divided’ over republic issueLabor has categorically rejected claims Australia is divided over the republican issue after one poll showed the country is split 50-50 on support for King Charles as head of state.
Read more »
More than half of Labor candidates in the Victorian election are womenMore than half of Labor Party candidates at the Victorian election will be women, while just over a third of would-be Liberal MPs will be female. | Jackson Graham
Read more »
NSW Labor MP Tania Mihailuk launches extraordinary attack on her own party in parliamentIn late-night speech, Tania Mihailuk links Bankstown mayor and Labor candidate Khal Asfour to corrupt former minister Eddie Obeid
Read more »
NSW Labor MP launches attack on own party's 'tainted' upper house pickMP Tania Mihailuk uses parliamentary privilege to attack the character of a potential future candidate — linking them to corrupt former minister Eddie Obeid.
Read more »