Labor’s childcare bill to give children safety standards they ‘deserve’, education minister says

Labor is proposing changes that could cut federal funds to childcare centres after horrific allegations of abuse.

Labor is proposing changes to cut federal funding for childcare providers that “aren’t up to scratch” after horrific allegations of sexual abuse at a centre in Melbourne.

Earlier this month, Victoria Police revealed Joshua Dale Brown, 26, had been charged with more than 70 offences, including sexual activity in the presence of a child under 16 and possession of child abuse material.

He was a worker at Creative Garden Early Learning Centre in Point Cook and had a working with children check.

The alleged abuse sparked national outrage, forcing Labor to act on royal commission recommendations made under the former Coalition government.

Education Minister Jason Clare said on Wednesday the legislation aimed to bring about the “standards that parents need and that our children deserve” by giving the Commonwealth powers “to cut access to the childcare subsidy for centres that aren’t up to scratch”.

Alleged pedophile Joshua Brown was a worker at the Creative Garden Early Learning Centre in Point Cook. Picture: Supplied

“I think the whole country has been sickened and shocked by the (allegations) that have come out of Victoria in the last few weeks, and a lot of work is needed to rebuild trust in a system that parents rely upon every single day,” Mr Clare told reporters.

“The biggest weapon that the Commonwealth has to wield here is the funding that we provide that enables childcare centres to operate – it’s something like $16bn a year, and that covers about 70 per cent of the cost of running the average childcare centre.

“Childcare centres can’t operate without it and I think it’s fair.”

He went on to say “most mums and dads will think it’s fair that if centres are repeatedly not meeting the sort of standards that we set for them that we should have the power to be able to cut that funding off”.

“This is not about shutting centres down, it’s about lifting standards up and giving us the powers to make that happen,” Mr Clare said.

Mr Clare will introduce the bill into the House of Represenatives, where Labor commands a massive 94-seat majority.

It is also unlikely to meet resistance in the Senate, with Coalition saying it is willing to work with the government on strengthening childcare safety.

Education Minister Jason Clare (left) says cutting federal funds to dodgy childcare centres is the ‘biggest weapon’ Labor has. Picture: Martin Ollman / NewsWire

Speaking to Sky News, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley welcomed the quick action.

“I’m pleased with the government’s efforts around childcare, because it’s too important to get that wrong,” she said.

“And I have said, we want to be above politics in the interests of parents and families who have just been horrified at these stories.”

Last week, Attorney-General Michelle Rowland also vowed action on a national Working With Children check system.

This is something we are actively doing now,” she told Sky News on Sunday.

“I’ve been in direct contact with my counterparts … engaging with them about the need to have reform in this area.”

Ms Rowland said many would be “shocked” to learn this was actually a recommendation coming out of a 2015 series of responses on the Royal Commission into child sexual abuse.

“We’re now in 2025. What is important here is that we have action,” Mr Rowland said.

“The federal government has not been idle.”

“We have been undertaking work to ensure that we do have some mechanisms that are in place.”

Working With Children checks currently take place at a state and territory level.

States and territories do not need to talk to each other about their processes or violations and there is no federal oversight.

Originally published as Labor’s childcare bill to give children safety standards they ‘deserve’, education minister says