Page 3139 - Week 07 - Thursday, 30 June 2011
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department had told a particular playschool that the national quality framework did not apply to playschools. The minister responded:
If my unit made that comment to the service, I am sure it is right.
So in the space of a question and a supplementary question, Minister Burch has given the Assembly directly conflicting information. What is the true story? Perhaps the minister can tell us tonight. Are playschools exempt from the national quality framework or are they subject to it? Yesterday Minister Burch did not know, and this is indicative of this minister’s competence in this portfolio. What else doesn’t Minister Burch know?
She does not know, or perhaps more correctly, does not care that the viability of some childcare centres will be under a cloud due to the national quality framework. She does not know or care that some childcare centres will actually reduce the number of childcare places they can offer. She does not know or care that some childcare centres will have to undertake costly capital works improvements at their centres just to be able to maintain a viable number of places under the national quality framework. She does not know or care that her program to upgrade government-owned childcare centres creates competitive advantage for those childcare operators in those centres over those that do not operate from government-owned facilities. She does not know or care that childcare centres are very worried about the extra carers made necessary by the national quality framework.
Minister Burch does not know or care that the national quality framework will result in higher childcare costs for Canberra families. She does not know or care that this is yet another impost on the cost of living imposed by this government on Canberra families who already are paying the highest childcare costs in the country by $60 a week. Minister Burch does not know or care about childcare.
Then we move on to the Bimberi Youth Justice Centre. This is not a case of whether Minister Burch knows or cares about anything. In this case Minister Burch simply does not want to know or care. She placed her hands over her ears and said, “La, la, la, la, la,” when she was told a few home truths by workers at Bimberi. She says she attended that meeting with workers at Bimberi just to cover her backside. She called Bimberi residents a variety of “little buggers”, “silly little buggers”, “naughty little buggers”.
Until the Canberra Liberals spoke out for workers and residents at Bimberi and the challenges that they face with security problems, personal safety, staff shortages and cancelled leave, Minister Burch did not want to know, nor did she care. Until the Canberra Liberals spoke out about the shortcomings of the physical security at the facility so that money was allocated for upgrades, Minister Burch did not want to know, nor did she care. Until the Canberra Liberals spoke out about bullying and physical abuse of residents at Bimberi, Minister Burch did not want to know, nor did she care. Minister Burch does not want to know, nor does she care, about Bimberi Youth Justice Centre. We have an inquiry not because Minister Burch was interested but because the Canberra Liberals spoke out.
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