Labor scaremongering over child care

Labor are once again scaremongering Australian families by only telling half the story about the cost of child care, following the release yesterday of the 2004 Australian Government Census of Child Care Services.

Labor have failed to take into account that over the period of the Census, 2002 to 2004:

• Average weekly earnings grew by $85 to $953
• The Howard Government increased Child Care Benefit (CCB) by 6.2%

The reality is that between 2002 and 2004 (the period covered by the Census) a family, with just one full time income, with one child in long day care received an $85 increase in Average Weekly Earnings and a 6% increase in Child Care Benefit.

Tanya Plibersek is plucking policy comment out of thin air by claiming the Census ‘results also suggested prices were being pushed up in the expectation of the Government’s 30 per cent rebate for out of pocket expenses‘ – when the Census finished six months before the Rebate was even announced.

Ms Plibersek has again shown she has no understanding of child care, let alone any child care policy.