World News – AU – Labor Party wants to investigate ‘long-term goal’ of universal child care

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said the ceiling on childcare subsidy should be lifted and promised that a Labor government would investigate a long-term plan that would not allow any family to pay more than 10% of childcare costs

The Labor leader used his budget response speech to pledge a $ 6 billion plan to remove the subsidy cap, which currently limits annual child care subsidy payments (CSC ) to $ 10,560 for families earning more than $ 189,390 per year

M Albanese said the current system prevents women from working full time because they have to pay more to work after reaching the cap

« For millions of working women, it’s just not worth working more than three days a week, » he said

« Building a child care system that works for families will boost productivity and revive Australia »

The removal of the cap, which would take effect from July 2022 if Labor wins the next election, will benefit higher income families

But the workforce will also increase the maximum rate of SCC from 85 to 90 percent, meaning families earning less than $ 80,000 in 2022 would pay 10 percent of their child care costs.

Referring to a « long-term goal », M Albanese said a Labor government would task the Productivity Commission with investigating a 90% universal SCC, which would see no family paying more than 10% of childcare costs

Right now, families earning over $ 353,680 cannot access any grants, but Labor would allow access to the grant on a phased basis for families earning up to $ 530,000

According to Labor, 97% of families would save between $ 600 and $ 2,900 per year and no family would be worse off

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But Liberal Senator Jane Hume said plans to remove the subsidy cap and potentially offer universal child care could have negative ramifications

« If you switch to a different model, if you decide to make child care universal and free, you will find that these are perverse results, » she said

« People overbook, making positions less accessible By removing the cap, child care providers have a cost shift … it’s free for everyone »

The Budget Response, the first of M Albanese since becoming leader of the opposition, also presents a response plan for Australian energy infrastructure, to better integrate renewable energy transport capacity

The six-year, $ 20 billion plan would see a Labor government establish a Rewiring the Nation Corporation, which would be tasked with upgrading the current grid in accordance with plans made by the Australian energy market operator

« The current grid does not take into account the rise of renewables as the cheapest new energy source and does not help connect these new sources to the national grid

« By using the Commonwealth’s ability to borrow at lower interest rates, it will be at the lowest possible cost »

M Albanese said that by improving the network, thousands of jobs would be created and $ 40 billion in profits would flow

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Anthony Albanese, Australian Labor Party, Scott Morrison, Australia