Page 839 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 27 February 2013
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require you to be concise and directly relevant. The question was about what future expansion would be. The interjections of the opposition are irrelevant to that and you should answer the question.
MS BURCH: We have further expansions and support to our childcare services. A 124-place centre will be constructed by the government in Holder. This will be on track for 2014. Since the election, a site in Oxley has been sold and representatives from the Education and Training Directorate and the Environment and Sustainability Directorate are meeting in the very near future to progress identification of further sites for Woden, Belconnen and Tuggeranong.
This proves that we continue to expand. In the ACT, 75 per cent of our services are community organisation managed. So we have about 30 per cent being privately managed. (Time expired.)
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mrs Jones.
MRS JONES: Regarding the expansion of child care, can the minister please outline what has been done to increase non-centre-based child care in the ACT?
MS BURCH: I refer Mrs Jones to the fact that I noted a minute or so ago that two new family day care services have recently been approved to commence operation in the ACT. The number of places offered by family day care service is not restricted and is dependent on the number of educators employed to reflect the family demand.
Family day care is a great service and is an alternative to centre-based care. Centre-based care, by its structure is, in many ways, limited. Even the early starts near Calvary hospital are 6.30 and they close at 5 or 6 in the afternoon, so for shiftworkers and families with longer hours that is sometimes clearly inconvenient. That is why family day care is such an important asset. I know when I had my younger children, as a nurse and shiftworker, family day care was a great asset and a sanity saver for many families.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Dr Bourke.
DR BOURKE: Minister, are you considering any other alternative policy proposals on child care, including any proposed by the ACT Liberals at the last election?
MADAM SPEAKER: Just hold that for a second, please. I would like to consult with the Clerk. Minister Burch, I will rule Dr Bourke’s question in order but I will remind you that the standing orders do not allow you to announce new policy, and the standing orders are clear that you are not responsible for policies of any other party.
MS BURCH: Thank you, Madam Speaker, and I do thank Dr Bourke for his question. I am happy to consider alternative policies at any time. The second part of his question was about looking to policies that might come from this place in a cooperative, bipartisan manner. But I do not have to look very far because there are none. There was no childcare policy brought forward from the Canberra Liberals for anyone in this community to consider. I do have a memory that, a couple of budgets back, with great fanfare the then Leader of the Opposition—
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