Doorstop interview: The Turnbull Government’s unfair child care package

A week out from the government’s new child care changes and we have seen reports of child care fees going up significantly. This clearly demonstrates that the government is doing nothing when it comes to relief for families when it comes to child care fees. Unfortunately, the government has misled families by suggesting there is a cap on fees and there would be downward pressure on child care fees. Quite the contrary, we are seeing child care fees going up and the government spending all their time on fancy advertising campaigns and not actually finding real relief for families. Child care fees under this government have gone up over $2,000 on average. It is time the government wake up and realise families are doing it tough. Not only are we seeing the relief being whittled away for so many families- in addition- we know that one in four families are going to get less support under the government’s new child care changes. It is time that this out of touch government understands that families are doing it tough. Families want support when it comes to child care and don’t want to see child care fees just go up and up and up. It is time the government is honest with families and explain to them what impact their new changes will have.
 
JOURNALIST: So the increase in child care fees is just going to suck up the tax cuts that they have just been handed?
 
RISHWORTH: The increase in child care fees will have a big impact on families and quite frankly the Minister has been peddling mistruths when it comes to his new scheme. He has been saying there will be a cap on fees, well the increase in fees that we have seen reported in the media over the last two days suggests that that is just not the case. There is no cap on fees, there is a cap on the government’s subsidy but no cap on the out of pocket costs that parents will be paying.
 
ENDS