John Minihan (Progressive Democrats)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion and welcome the Minister to the House. We debated the issue of child care in the House several months ago and less than a month ago we debated the equally important issue of early childhood education. That we are debating it again so soon is testimony to the gravity of the issue and how it is viewed by all parties. Since the debate some months ago various interest groups such as parents, Opposition parties, and even Government Members have clamoured to agree that something must be done to help parents with their child care needs.

I thank the Minister for his comments tonight. I make no apologies for having banged the table, as he suggested, within my parliamentary party with regard to bringing forward proposals in this area. I suggest others should do the same. I do not believe the proposals I brought forward are the only way forward. My contribution was an honest contribution. If other parties and interest groups were equally as honest in their contributions to the overall debate, we might make more positive progress in this area.

With regard to points of order about who said what first, who cares? I do not care who came up with an idea once we deliver something for children. It does not matter who proposed it, once it is right for and in the interests of children. Everybody says that something must done but the problem lies in what that something is. It has become a major bone of contention between various and, at times, divergent groups. Some groups have even changed their opinion on what the solution should be in the short intervening period since our last debate on the subject. If one looks at the debate on child care on 9 March 2005, one can see that Senator O'Meara called on the Government to provide better financial support through a refundable tax credit when she moved the Labour party's motion. It is interesting to note that when the Labour Party, through Senator O'Meara, launched its child care policy last Thursday, it proposed a subsidy which would give equal recognition to the contribution of all parents, whether they worked full-time in the home or full-time or part-time in the workforce. What is most remarkable about Senator O'Meara's latest proposal is that it echoes the amendment to the motion on 9 March 2005, which commended the Government.