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Opposition to reject childcare changes

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Author: 
Sydney Morning Herald
Format: 
Article
Publication Date: 
23 Nov 2010

 

EXCERPTS

The federal opposition will vote against a budget measure that will increase the cost of child care for some families.

Childcare Minister Kate Ellis says the $86 million saved over four years will go to increasing the quality of child care.

But the opposition says the measure will hit families who need both parents to work.

The measure, which implements a budget decision and was reintroduced after the election, caps the childcare rebate cap at $7,500 per child per year.

It also freezes indexation of the cap for four years.

Ms Ellis said when introducing the bill that the savings would be redirected to increasing the quality of child care and early childhood education.

"Too many childcare centres are failing to meet basic safety, hygiene, educational and wellbeing standards," she said.

Opposition early childhood spokeswoman Sussan Ley said the bill was detrimental to Australian families.

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- reprinted from the Sydney Morning Herald