Page 4116 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 13 December 2006
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MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Under standing order 43, Mrs Burke, I am going to allow you to remain seated.
MRS BURKE (Molonglo) (5.38): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker and members. The Liberal opposition supports the major thrust of Ms Porter’s motion, recognising the commonwealth government’s attempts to ensure that childcare policy and any necessary reform will be placed higher on the agenda to ensure that families and their children continue to see improvements in the sector.
I commend Bronwyn Bishop and her committee on their work to date. There is no doubt that young couples wishing to start a family must make some serious decisions about their financial, social and career choices. Balancing work commitments and having a family has fast become a major policy issue for federal, state and territory governments. A part of this is the facilitation of the growth of the childcare industry and actual facilities on the ground, complemented by the development of sound policy at the federal level, backed up by financial incentives for people to have the best possible environment, both at home and work, to have children.
I am very cognisant of the impact that placing children into care has on women over time. Most of us would know that women continue to remain the primary carer for children in the household. As Ms Porter so ably spoke about and illuminated, women wear many hats—I think that is the expression. In turn, if women are to discontinue working or engage in part-time or casual work, this can most certainly impact on earning capacity and superannuation. I do believe that this needs further investigation. More incentives must be made to women to assist during certain periods, especially in the first few years after a child is born, when a mother may not be working, to ensure that her financial future is still certain.
A major point made during the inquiry, and one which is of the greatest concern to me, is that over time the states, territories and commonwealth have been disputing who maintains responsibility for services in the sector for parents of children with a disability. I agree with the committee that it is discriminatory to continue to not offer a level of services to children with a disability that is equitable compared with those afforded to other children.
I also believe that the states and territories cannot continue to pass the buck back to the commonwealth. There is a time for taking responsibility here. The commonwealth’s approach is measured and positive: it seeks, through the work of the committee, to work with the community. Within our society here in the ACT, we have developed normal social expectations about paid maternity and paternity leave and about flexible working arrangements. It is important for our community that we see further reasonable reforms to the childcare sector so that there is a clear level of equity between genders in terms of responsibility for raising and caring for children and that women are given the best possible chance to pursue education and career prospects.
Finally, I reiterate that I support the major thrusts of Ms Porter’s motion, which seeks government reform for the childcare sector, which of course must happen at state, territory and federal levels.
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