Childcare privatisation a failed, disastrous experiment

Credit: Alan Moir

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CHILDCARE

How many more examples of alleged abuse or exploitation must be endured before the penny drops that the neoliberal mantra of privatisation/corporatisation of essential services in the past few decades has been a disastrously failed experiment of incalculable cost? Instead of looking towards a more socially just and functional Scandinavian example, Australia followed the American pied piper to this dysfunctional “law of the jungle” mentality, benefiting a privileged few – some undeservedly and/or obscenely disproportionately – at the expense of the vast majority, creating unnecessary and extreme inequality.
Quality of life has been trampled by essentially unregulated exploitation allowed across our lifespan, from childcare to aged care and in between. Multiple commission reports gather dust while access to shelter, food, education, healthcare, family and societal cohesion, and our environment suffer at the altar of profit. The hole is deepening; is it not past time to stop digging?
Joe Di Stefano, Geelong

A passive public, a passive government
The reason abuse and neglect is a real risk for Australians outsourcing any type of care to privatised industries is always a lack of necessary government legislation on the details of business operation. The best public response is to zoom in on each area of missing government legislation and to act as one village raising its children together because what happens to one might happen to all, and insist upon necessary legislation as a condition of public custom.
The passivity of Australians towards the aged care system the royal commission identified as totally unacceptable should be an example to not be similarly passive about childcare. A passive public allows a government to remain passive. Criminal liability for harm and neglect was removed from the 2024 aged care bill, when providers suggested that they would walk away from the industry if the government legislated it. For children at least, Australians need to identify that perhaps the walking away of current business providers might be the only way to force the government to fulfil its regulatory responsibility for a care sector.
Ruth Farr, Blackburn South

Children and aged need protections
During the pandemic, we realised how compromised aged care was, resulting in unnecessary deaths due to the industry business model. Now the childcare sector has been exposed for alleged heinous acts. Some services should be government managed and not operated for profit. Australia’s development of its youngest and its aged both deserve the best possible service.
Patrick Alilovic, Pascoe Vale South

Many royal commissions not acted upon
Your correspondent (Letters, 3/7) points out governments’ failure to address systemic issues highlighted in royal commissions in aged care, disability services and child sexual abuse. Although royal commissions are the highest form of inquiry, there is no obligation for governments to accept a royal commission’s recommendations. After 140 or so royal commissions in Australia, there are countless recommendations sitting in bottom drawers gathering dust.
Sarah Russell, Mount Martha

Men must be banned
Many methods have been suggested in your pages in recent days as ways to minimise the risk of sexual abuse of children in childcare centres. Only one however, has the best chance of almost totally eliminating this hideous problem: Men should be banned from working in this childcare centre.
Yes, this would be discriminatory – but surely the minimisation of harm to young children is more important than permitting the relatively few men who desire to, the right to work in this area. Working with children checks only measure whether or not criminal behaviour has been noticed; oversights can be faulty, and regulations can be got around. Nearly all sexual abuse of young children is carried out by men, and this would be the most simple and effective means of minimising the awful harm that often results from this monstrous kind of abuse.
Freya Headlam, Glen Waverley,

More likely offenders
I write as a former Victoria Police detective who worked on child abuses. There is a compelling argument for banning male workers from childcare centres. On international data, the probability of a male assaulting a child is low but significant, whereas for a female it’s effectively zero. (UK and Canadian studies from 2005 to 2017 have found that female child-sex offenders account for 4 per cent to 20 per cent of all offending (96 per cent or 80 per cent respectively for male). Banning male workers would be unfair and discriminatory, and challenge prevailing ideas of sex and gender. It would also rob children of the value of male role models. Ultimately however, it may prevent the devastating consequences of child sexual assault.
Gregory M. Donoghue, Woodbridge, Tas

Ban no answer
Louise Edmonds’ call to ban all men from working in early childhood education is as unsurprising as it is misguided (″⁣With more allegations of sexual abuse at childcare centres, is banning men the answer?″⁣, 3/7. The actions of an utter minority of men is not reflective of the sex as a whole, with cases of school principal Malka Leifer, a woman found guilty of abusing her child in Perth on Wednesday, and many other less high-profile cases demonstrating that predation is not sex-exclusive. A ban will indeed “stain all the good men” by irrevocably associating any man working in early childhood with abuse.
Edmonds’ call echoes those encountered by nearly all male nurses and carers at some point in their training and careers. The view that only women should work in caring spaces and the willingness to write off 8per cent of the workforce (12per cent in nursing) is regressive, and is a knee-jerk response that doesn’t address systemic issues that early childhood workers have been crying out against for years. We should lift up those who are working with us to create our children’s futures, not beat them down.
Wil Wallace, Wangaratta

Increase maternity leave
Whatever the solution to the care of children, it is going to have a financial cost to all stakeholders, government, providers and families. One of the best solutions would be the increase in paid maternity leave. The UK allow 52 weeks which allows families to care for their new born till 12 months old, establishing a bond and is easier for the inevitable separation when the child is older.
Margaret Raffle, Keilor East

Why ban cameras?
What will the banning of “personal devices”, mobiles, cameras, tablets etc in childcare centres achieve? There are glasses that have cameras built in and numerous micro video recording cameras are available, including cameras in a pen. The ability of childcare centres to search every employee and detect these is impossible. Alleged offenders recordings can be shared which is often how they are caught. Such recordings may be found as evidence and proof of alleged criminal actions when found or tracked.
Ross Kroger, Barwon Heads

THE FORUM

Peoples’ court
Why don’t we take a leaf out of the US by giving the public the right to ″⁣elect″⁣ magistrates/judicial officers for a fixed term of, say, 3 to 4 years and so remove appointments from the hands of the governments? Elected judicial officers will very quickly begin to reflect public thinking and concerns in their sentencing. Otherwise, they are likely to be booted out when their term expires. It might be amazing how hip pocket and career considerations ″⁣sharpen″⁣ thinking.
Michael Gamble, Belmont

Don’t run to DC
The US has approximately 4.25per cent of the world population, but holds approximately 30 cent of the world’s wealth. It is by far the richest country in the world. But Donald Trump tries to convince us that the rest of the world has been ripping the USA off. In fact, the USA always wants plenty in return for their help. Trump’s bullying tactics frighten politicians into kowtowing to him or risking short-term punishments which may result in them losing political support in their own country. So we see the nauseating grovelling to a man who uses his power in the most appalling manner. I am delighted that Albanese is not rushing to meet Trump.
Judy Kevill, Ringwood

AUKUS warning
The whole idea of a pact or alliance is that the members of that pact aspire to see each other on an equal footing to support all and be stronger together. While Trump’s USA is incessantly going on about ″⁣America first″⁣ and with this doctrine affecting all aspects of its relations with other countries, I’d say Anthony Albanese should finally get his head around the fact that AUKUS is dead in the water.
Russell Brims, Bentleigh East

More forest, less clearing
Re “Hopes dashed for new national park” 4/7: To say I’m disappointed that the Victorian Labor Government won’t support a Great Forest National Park is an understatement. Victoria is the most cleared state in the country and our forests have just only had a recent win with the end of native forest logging. This government must stand up for much-needed environmental protection, not capitulate to misinformation from a vocal minority.
Sarah Brennan, Hawthorn

Arts punching bag
Well, if there is one good takeaway from the whole Venice Biennale fiasco, it’s that the arts – for all their political denigration – are still considered serious in this country. Not for a career mind, but at least serious enough to be used as a punching bag for bored politicians and media outlets. That’s something, isn’t it?
David Jeffery, East Geelong

Dating short story
Brodie Lancaster (“Love overlooked – Are our must-have dating checklists killing our chance at happiness?” 28/6), I urge you to go with your idea of maybe dropping your standards and strike out “taller than me” as a dealbreaker. ( I do however suggest you should stick with “has a job”.) Further, never give up on the idea that you just might meet someone the old-fashioned way. And when someone says “don’t look too hard – you’ll meet someone when you least expect it”, trust that it’s a distinct possibility. I met my partner just over three years ago in Perth while on a trip to go on the Indian Pacific. We were both 72 at the time and both long divorced. We have been together ever since and ... my man is short, quite a few centimetres shorter than me. It matters not a jot. Never give up!
Patsy McHugh, Frankston

Road rule fails
Already this year, 150 lives have been lost on Victorian roads, 11more than for the whole of 2024. Perhaps an innovative new strategy could dramatically reduce this toll: Enforcing the road rules. At the moment, driving on Melbourne’s freeways is akin to becoming an unwilling extra in a Mad Max movie.
Warwick Sprawson, Brunswick West

Funeral song
I saw a news photo this morning of people carrying a puppet giraffe through the streets of London. Endangered but not yet extinct. Not unlike the sci-fi short story of my youth where the people mourn the passing of the last elephant left on earth – the elephant puppeteer. Because people can only carry life-sized puppets of the host of animals already extinct. And even that has been taken away. I’m 75. I’m beginning to feel a life of crying out for the killing of the planet has to be replaced by all that’s left; singing at its funeral.
Jim McMillan Kensington

AND ANOTHER THING

Credit: Matt Golding

Angus Taylor
Looks like Angus Taylor can’t wait to see Albanese join the conga line of world leaders bullied by Trump in the Oval Office.
Bernd Rieve, Brighton

Angus Taylor: Lest we forget:
Robo-debt!
Luise Mock, Tawonga South

Childcare
When any institution that was previously government owned is sold off to ″⁣for profit″⁣ organisations, the first cost-cutting will be safeguards. The new owners are all about profits, regardless.
Marie Nash, Balwyn

I am very grateful for the professional male (and other genders) educators who have taught and encouraged my children. Safety is paramount. Banning a gender during a shortage of educators is not the solution.
Dylan Jansz, Broadmeadows

Reviews after the event are not the answer. Perhaps we should look towards an end to privatisation of care facilities, where profit is the number one aim.
Annie Wilson, Inverloch

Childcare should not be profit making. The Age reported some time ago of a childcare centre sold for $10.1 million to a number of “traditional commercial property owners” looking to grow a more diversified portfolio. Childcare?
Chris Hooper, Castlemaine

Furthermore
Who picks up the tab for BUPA’s $35million fine for unfairly denying customers’ claims? The health insurers’ executives responsible for the misdemeanour or the customers who diligently pay their premiums?
David Elias, Sandringham

I am very long in the tooth and for all my life people have been asking how do we stop drivers from hitting the Montague Street bridge. There should be a big reward for whoever solves that riddle.
John Walsh, Watsonia

It took me three hours to travel on V/Line from Southern Cross to Geelong on Tuesday night. This is not uncommon. I used my time to ponder what if V/Line had been in charge of the Titanic. It wouldn’t have sunk as the ship wouldn’t have got out of Southhampton. It would’ve been described as a “Signal fault”.
Peter Adkins, Geelong

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