Opinion: Out of touch Minister Mark Butler should be ashamed of himself
Mark Butler should be ashamed over his glib comments that suggested grandparents were mere babysitters, ill-educated ones at that, writes Kylie Lang.
Ahead of today’s National Grandparents Day, Federal Health Minister Mark Butler saw fit to belittle the great work older Australians do in helping raise the next generation.
Shame on him.
Like many mums, I was unimpressed – make that furious – with his glib comments on Channel 7’s Sunrise on Friday that suggested grandparents were mere babysitters, ill-educated ones at that.
Apologies to all the retired principals, teachers, doctors, entrepreneurs and other taxpayers who’ve officially stopped work but their brains haven’t.
Mr Butler, in ruling out expanding the Child Care Subsidy beyond daycare centres and family daycare so more families can benefit, showed how out of touch he really is.
Host David Woiwod began the interview by referring to a poll that shows nearly half of all parents want the subsidy widened to give them more choice of providers – including grandparents and nannies.
The reasoning is sound – current options do not suit parents who are shift workers, have kids with medical issues, live in remote areas or have no access to approved providers and, justifiably, do not trust a system plagued by allegations of child abuse.
This is lost on Mr Butler.
Sounding like a paid ambassador for Goodstart, he told Sunrise: “We know that 90 per cent of brain development happens in the first five years of life. There’s no more crucial time for education than those first five years.
“My three-year-old loves spending time with his grandparents. All three-year-olds do, but it’s not the same as the learning experience you get from the local Goodstart centre where my three-year-old goes.”
It’s wonderful that Mr Butler’s child is having a great time in subsidised care – but that is not the universal experience.
It is offensive to families everywhere to suggest that if a child does not go to daycare, they are not being educated. It’s also a slap in the face to family daycare providers - which are covered by the existing subsidy.
After Queensland advocacy group For Parents posted a clip of the TV exchange on its Instagram account it was flooded with comments.
One said: “Minister, I’m a rural dad of two kids under 4. Our children are on a long wait list for childcare but even if they were accepted, I've completely lost faith in childcare centres due to repeated cases of sexual, physical and psychological abuse.
“The system has failed on your watch. These centres aren’t providing education. The ratios are often over 10:1.
“The Albanese government’s continued insistence that you know better than us as parents is insulting and highlights you’re out of touch with modern Australian working families.
“It shows us that you care more about appeasing large super profit centres and the unions than you do about our children.”
Another described Mr Butler as “another middle-aged white male telling us how to best care for our kids.”
It might do the minister well to familiarise himself with the government’s own Australian Early Years Learning Framework.
It states: “From before birth children are connected to family, communities, culture and place. Their earliest learning, development and wellbeing takes place through these relationships, particularly within families, who are children’s first and most influential educators.”
Take a bow all the parents, aunties, uncles – and yes, today of all days, the grandparents – who are integral in shaping our country’s future adults.
It’s a pity your efforts don’t fit the current political agenda.
Send me your story tips at kylie.lang@news.com.au
Originally published as Opinion: Out of touch Minister Mark Butler should be ashamed of himself
The Sunday Quiz: Who did David Warner score his first Test ton against?
