Michael Brennan (Progressive Democrats)

The Senator has raised this a number of times, I know her commitment to child care and this area and she exhorts the Government to make it easier for employers to introduce work-friendly and flexible child care systems. The present budget arithmetic is based on starting this in March. I have listened carefully to the Senator's suggestion that it be implemented in January. I have asked my Department to examine the potential cost and the mechanisms that might be available although I am not in a position to introduce an amendment on this today. The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform has a role since it is the prime legislator in this area. While we can examine it I am reluctant to upset the budget arithmetic, which is very finely balanced and the result of major negotiations over many months between me and the Minister for Finance and our Departments. The Minister for Finance would not thank me for doing that. I need to know the kind of funding that would be involved, although it does not sound like much. I will take a view based on that amount.