❓ Ms McGurk questions the Minister for Women's Interests about cuts to accommodation support for community-based childcare centres. The Minister acknowledges the issue but clarifies the situation, stating the centres will not close and funding will continue, with a change in leasing arrangements.
AnsweredQoN 691Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
COMMUNITY-BASED CHILDCARE CENTRES —ACCOMMODATION
SUPPORT
691. Ms S.F. McGURK to the Minister for
Women's Interests:
I refer to the Committee for Perth's
report, ''Filling the Pool'', on Western Australia's wide
and persistent gender pay gap, which identified the lack of suitable and
affordable child care as a key block to women's full participation in
the labour market. What is the Minister for Women's Interests doing to
reverse the cuts to accommodation support for 32 community-based childcare
centres that threaten to push up fees for thousands of families or force those
centres to close?
SUPPORT
691. Ms S.F. McGURK to the Minister for
Women's Interests:
I refer to the Committee for Perth's
report, ''Filling the Pool'', on Western Australia's wide
and persistent gender pay gap, which identified the lack of suitable and
affordable child care as a key block to women's full participation in
the labour market. What is the Minister for Women's Interests doing to
reverse the cuts to accommodation support for 32 community-based childcare
centres that threaten to push up fees for thousands of families or force those
centres to close?
AnswerView source ↗
Although I have an active interest
in this matter as Minister for Women's Interests, the question should
have been more appropriately directed to the Minister for Local Government;
Community Services.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : As Minister for Women's Interests, I can answer this
question because I take an active interest in the availability of childcare
places in Western Australia for working women. Yes, the member is right: the
Committee for Perth's ''Filling the Pool'' report
identified that one of the key inhibitors to women participating in the
workforce in Western Australia is access to affordable and convenient childcare
facilities. The issue to which the member referred affects around 33 childcare
centres across the state. Western Australia has 1 137 childcare centres across Western
Australia, and 33 centres are affected.
Ms
S.F. McGurk interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Fremantle, I call you to order for the first time. You
have asked a question; let the minister answer it.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : Effectively, back in the 1980s when there was a significant
lack of available childcare in Western Australia, the Department of Local
Government and Communities entered into leasing arrangements with some of the
local governments around the state to provide peppercorn leases to childcare
facilities in certain areas to try to get some capacity in the childcare
market.
Ms
S.F. McGurk interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Fremantle!
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : The Department of Local Government and Communities is the
regulator of childcare centres. It has looked at this arrangement and
determined that being the regulator of childcare centres, subsidising childcare
centres through this arrangement is not appropriate. As a result, it is now
moving into negotiations with the childcare facilities and the local
governments involved to have the childcare facilities enter into the leasing
arrangement directly with the owner of the facility, rather than having the
Department of Local Government and Communities as the intermediary. It is
entirely appropriate. The childcare facilities will not be closed. The funding
arrangements that they have with the government will remain.
Ms
S.F. McGurk interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Fremantle, I call you to order for the second time.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : The subsidies to work around $1.4 million will still flow to
those centres. What will happen is that the centres will have a leasing
arrangement with the owner of the venue they operate within, not with the
Department of Local Government and Communities as an intermediary between those
venue holders.
in this matter as Minister for Women's Interests, the question should
have been more appropriately directed to the Minister for Local Government;
Community Services.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : As Minister for Women's Interests, I can answer this
question because I take an active interest in the availability of childcare
places in Western Australia for working women. Yes, the member is right: the
Committee for Perth's ''Filling the Pool'' report
identified that one of the key inhibitors to women participating in the
workforce in Western Australia is access to affordable and convenient childcare
facilities. The issue to which the member referred affects around 33 childcare
centres across the state. Western Australia has 1 137 childcare centres across Western
Australia, and 33 centres are affected.
Ms
S.F. McGurk interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Fremantle, I call you to order for the first time. You
have asked a question; let the minister answer it.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : Effectively, back in the 1980s when there was a significant
lack of available childcare in Western Australia, the Department of Local
Government and Communities entered into leasing arrangements with some of the
local governments around the state to provide peppercorn leases to childcare
facilities in certain areas to try to get some capacity in the childcare
market.
Ms
S.F. McGurk interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Fremantle!
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : The Department of Local Government and Communities is the
regulator of childcare centres. It has looked at this arrangement and
determined that being the regulator of childcare centres, subsidising childcare
centres through this arrangement is not appropriate. As a result, it is now
moving into negotiations with the childcare facilities and the local
governments involved to have the childcare facilities enter into the leasing
arrangement directly with the owner of the facility, rather than having the
Department of Local Government and Communities as the intermediary. It is
entirely appropriate. The childcare facilities will not be closed. The funding
arrangements that they have with the government will remain.
Ms
S.F. McGurk interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Fremantle, I call you to order for the second time.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : The subsidies to work around $1.4 million will still flow to
those centres. What will happen is that the centres will have a leasing
arrangement with the owner of the venue they operate within, not with the
Department of Local Government and Communities as an intermediary between those
venue holders.
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