This time the PM said it’s in “constructive discussions” regarding the childcare package and welfare cuts in the omnibus bill, in order to help it get the support it needs to pass the $1.6 billion childcare changes.
After being unable to get the cross-bencher support he needed for the full omnibus bill, Turnbull has moved to try and split it to try and get the childcare piece passed before the end of the week – before Parliament takes a break in the lead up to the Federal Budget in May.
But the Turnbull Government will need to continue with a number of welfare cuts in order to pass the childcare package, with details only just coming through this morning. And no doubt more negotiations to occur.
Senator George Brandis later outlined where they intend on finding some of those savings — and it looks like family tax benefits will be targeted, among other things. So in that way, it looks like new parents will be paying for part of their childcare savings with a two-year freeze on current family tax benefit rates, although we’re still yet to learn more.
The childcare debate continues, while most of us with kids in childcare continue to pay astronomically high childcare bills. Costs that appear to rise every time a politician visits another childcare. The Early Childhood and Childcare Summary report found that childcare costs are rising at fives times the rate of inflation, with average hourly fees increasing by 7.6%. The reality is that for many of us who’ve been waiting for some kind of relief on costs, the bills will be paid and the kids will be in primary school before it actually occurs.
“We’re focused on results and outcomes,” Turnbull said during the announcement this morning.
So is this the week we’ll finally see results on childcare? And who is actually paying for it? Once again, we’ll have to wait and see.