Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Australian Ministers for Education

I acknowledge the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people, the Traditional Owners of the land on which we are gathered today. 

I want to thank the Chifley Research Centre and Emma Dawson for inviting me to speak today. It’s a pleasure to be here and an honour to speak after the Prime Minister’s address this morning.

It’s great to see so many of my esteemed Labor colleagues taking part today as well, including National President Wayne Swan.

During the second election debate last year, the Prime Minister was asked what he wanted his legacy to be.

And he responded with the topic of today’s address: universal early education and care.

It is no wonder a Prime Minister who believes in a country where no-one is held back and no-one left behind has this vision.

Because quality early learning gives children a great start in life, and it helps families thrive. 

I see this all the time when I speak to parents like Marina – a mum in Melbourne whose son has autism.

Her little boy has started to point, speak and play with other children now that he has an extra day at his local early learning centre, thanks to Labor’s 3 Day Guarantee.

The difference she’s seen is a reminder of why this matters.

And it doesn’t just matter to Marina and her son. 

By the age of four, about 90 per cent of Australian children are accessing early learning.

82 per cent of working families use this system.

A million families each year.

Quality early learning matters.

It’s good for children.

It’s good for families.

It’s good for the nation.

Our work to build a system that works for more families is nation-building reform.

And it sits within a proud Labor heritage.

A heritage that goes back to Ben Chifley.

He saw children not just as a private family responsibility, but as part of the nation’s future.

The Chifley Government expanded child endowment payments and strengthened maternity benefits.

Knowing that this reform was about giving families security and improving the lives of everyday Australians.

Years later, the Rudd-Gillard Government was the first to recognise that early education and care is not babysitting.

The first to understand that its essential workforce should be valued and qualified.

The first to build out an early education system based on strong national quality standards and educator to child ratios.

And the first to recognise that the first five years of a child’s learning belong in the Education portfolio of government.

Because like primary school and high school, the first five years of a child’s life really matters.

Indeed, it matters to children’s lives through every age and stage, because 90 per cent of brain development occurs in those first five years.

It matters to their chances of having a good education and a healthy life; to their chances of perhaps going further in life than their parents did.

Quality early education and care is a game changer.

It is an opportunity-maker.

Because, as Education Minister Jason Clare puts it, the early years are the time when ‘everything we see, hear, every meal, every smile, every book, shapes the people we become’.

For these reasons and more, early education is core Labor business.

And as a government, we are in the business of continuing the hard work of reform, to build a system that benefits every child who needs it, and every family who counts on it.

A universal early education and care system.

Now, we come to this reform after what can only be described as a decade of drift and decline.

After refusing to properly value our nation’s dedicated early childhood educators, the Coalition left us a workforce crisis, with educators leaving in droves. 

I saw it happen. I was there as part of the Big Steps campaign, where educators warned over and again that while they loved their jobs, love didn’t pay the rent. 

The Coalition excluded families through their Activity Test – the very disadvantaged families who stood to benefit the most from early learning.

And they let fees skyrocket by double the OECD average, causing a cost crunch that locked more children and families out too.

The only reform they attempted was their $240 million Nanny Trial.

It didn’t work. 

Just 200 families signed up.

The media labelled it ‘an expensive failure’.

And it was quietly shelved.

It is difficult to imagine a more damaging time for early childhood education.

So today, we are doing the careful work of not only rebuilding this essential sector, but putting the building blocks of universal early education and care in place too.

Our reforms are about making sure that quality early learning is there not just for the children of today, but for the families of tomorrow too, and for future generations to come.

That’s what universal early education and care is about.

Now despite some of the more outlandish commentary you might read, making early education and care universal doesn’t mean it’s going to be free for everyone – or compulsory for everyone either.

Universal early education means families can afford it.  

It means families can find it in their neighbourhood. 

And it means it’s good quality.

This is not pie in the sky stuff – it’s the sort of practical support that families really need.

Affordable.

Available.

Good quality.

Those are the building blocks of universal early education.

We are putting them in place right now.

And it all starts with our dedicated, committed early childhood educators.

Two days after I was sworn in, I met with Talitha, an educator at Goodstart Braddon – exactly one year ago today.

At the time, Talitha was 22. Hard-working, passionate, and she wanted to stay in the sector if she could afford it.

We spoke about the difference that the first 10 per cent of the Government’s 15 per cent pay rise was already making in her life.

We spoke about how important it is that the Government respects educators, and that their pay reflects that.

Because we want more people like Talitha educating our littlest Australians.

I met Talitha again at the end of last year, with the full pay rise in place. 

In the time since I’d first seen her, she’d gotten married – and she told me the pay rise would help her and her husband start their own family sooner.

This is exactly what we want to see.

Educators love their jobs, but they must be paid enough to be able to start their own families, while they are supporting all of ours.

Enough to stay in the sector, building their skills and long-term connections with children in their care.

Today, with our 15 per cent pay rise in place, a full-time educator is getting $200 more in their weekly pay.

And there are more than 200,000 stories just like Talitha’s.

Educators are staying in the jobs they love.

That is good for them, and even better for the children in their care.

The pay rise is working, and we’ll have more to say later this year on the next steps to support this workforce.

A strong, stable workforce is not only the foundation of quality.

It is critical to safety in early learning settings too.

In July last year, we heard sickening allegations of abuse in Victoria.

It was clear to everyone that urgent change was needed.

Speaking nearly a year on, I can say we have taken the strongest possible action to keep children safe in early learning.

Children’s safety and wellbeing must be the paramount consideration in this sector. So we’ve made that the law.

The child safety package that we agreed with the States and Territories in August is rolling out now – and it is all on track.

We introduced legislation to cut funding from providers who put profit ahead of safety. 

And we are using it – 87 services are on notice that if they don’t lift their game, we’ll cut their funding.

And we’ve gone further.

If you can’t demonstrate that you can meet safety standards, we can and will block Commonwealth Child Care Subsidy from being used to open new services.

We’ve put a stop on a South Australian provider who now cannot get our funding for new services until regulators are confident it’s lifted standards.

That is appropriate. 

Because child safety in non-negotiable. 

We are driving change, and we will continue to do so.

The changes we’ve made will not only help keep children safe, they will help improve quality overall in this sector.

And we know that quality is key.

Because quality early learning does change lives.

There is a huge body of research that shows that. 

The First Five Years report is just a recent example. 

This groundbreaking Australian research confirms international evidence that quality early learning benefits children.

It helps them develop, and learn, and be ready for school.

In short, this report tells us that quality matters – and it can change the trajectory of children’s lives.

This year, Labor has delivered the 3 Day Guarantee.

It means every child is now eligible for three days of Child Care Subsidy. 

No matter who you are, where you live, or what your parents do for work.

Just like Australian children can all attend school – no matter who they are.

The 3 Day Guarantee started on January 5, and new data we’re releasing today shows it’s working.

Now, around 100,000 additional families are eligible for more Child Care Subsidy hours this year.

The number of families eligible for three days of subsidised care is up by 15 per cent.

The 3 Day Guarantee replaces the Coalition’s Activity Test, which cut families off from early learning if they didn’t work enough hours.

It was bad for children, bad for mums trying to return to work gradually, and bad for lower income families relying on insecure work, who were locked out.

We’ve fixed that. 

Because these children’s developmental needs matter just as much as any other child’s. And we’re making sure they don’t miss out.

I’ve spoken to many parents who say it’s already made a world of difference.

And I’ve heard the words stability, and certainty and connection over and again in these conversations.

Take Courtney, from Melbourne, who’s been able to pick up an extra day of early learning – and an extra day of work.

She feels more stable in her job, and her one-year-old daughter Kiara is thriving – and developing some very adorable social skills.

Or Sheldon, a dad whose three-year-old daughter Florence attends Gowrie Broadmeadows Valley.

Before the 3 Day Guarantee, Florence could only do two days.

This year, she’s doing an extra day of early learning – and her dad says they’ve really seen benefits for her language development and how settled she is at the centre.

Parents have told me over and again how the opportunity of three consistent days has helped their children feel connected to early learning and to the educators delivering it.

It is of course that connection which generates the positive outcomes that early learning builds.

Importantly, the 3 Day Guarantee also means cost of living relief for these families.

It’s taking that little bit of strain off household budgets.

For many families earning $50,000 to $100,000, this means they save about $1500 a year.

That’s on top of our Cheaper Child Care reforms, which continue to save families thousands of dollars each year.

These are tangible, practical reforms that are changing lives for the better.

For Indigenous families, we’ve guaranteed eligibility for five days of Child Care Subsidy.

And I want to thank SNAICC’s CEO Catherine Liddle for your advocacy in this area.

As you’ve rightly pointed out, this is life-changing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families who previously couldn’t access the care they needed.

We want Indigenous children to be supported from their youngest years. 

We want them to be developmentally ready for school – just like we want that for every other Australian child.

I’ve heard from Koulla in Darwin. 

She’s a single mum to three First Nations children. 

She’s a nurse at Royal Darwin Hospital.

And while she devotes her career to caring for others, she deserves support to care for her own children too. 

So we’re backing Koulla and her children through the 3 Day Guarantee.

And we’re backing Indigenous families in regional and remote areas too. 

I visited Derby in the Kimberley earlier this year to announce a new centre we’re building for that town in partnership with the West Australian Government, the Minderoo Foundation and the Ngunga Women’s Group.

I spoke to mums like Kacey, whose children are benefiting from playgroups, but there is currently no appropriate early learning in town.

Kacey’s got another little one on the way – and because she’s already seen the benefits of play-based learning, she just couldn’t wait to send her next child to an early learning centre. 

Our new Derby Early Learning and Family Centre is Closing the Gap in action.  

Engaging First Nations communities, listening to them, and delivering what matters most to them.

Our $1 billion Building Early Education Fund is building more centres where Australian families need them most, including in those outer suburbs and regional areas that have so often been underserved.

Areas where children living in lower socio-economic communities have the most to benefit from early learning.

We have now signed agreements with most of the States and Territories to build more quality not-for-profit early learning centres together. 

That means more centres from communities like Bruny Island in Tasmania all the way up to Yorkeys Knob in Queensland. 

The majority of these new not-for-profit centres are co-located with schools.

And anyone here who’s had to do the double-drop off – I don’t need to tell you what a difference this will make. 

Having early learning and school next door to each other is also good for children.

They can see the big school, they can maybe spot a sibling through the fence, and they can envisage themselves putting on that big kid uniform one day.

It helps our littlest learners transition to school.

As I’ve visited some of these sites, it’s clear this will be great for children.

A few weeks ago, I went to Rosewood State School in Ipswich in Queensland, which is about to get a new early learning centre through our fund.

I spoke to the principal, Georgia O’Shea, and she told me that, at the moment, under a third of the children starting school there have gone to early learning.

She can pick them a mile off.

They’re more ready for school. 

They’ve developed the social skills.

They’ve learnt how to share. 

They already love learning.

She’s hoping that with our new early learning service on site, many more families and children will reap the benefits. 

Georgia’s community is exactly where we want more children to have the opportunity of early education. 

As we look to that delivery of a quality universal system, the natural next step is consultation on a national Early Education and Care Commission.

That consultation is starting now.

I want to shout out Georgie Dent from The Parenthood here, who was with me to announce this last week, along with Sam Page from the Early Childhood Australia.

Georgie has long advocated for the importance of an Early Education and Care Commission. 

She calls it a once in a generation opportunity.

You’ll be hearing from her next, so I congratulate you for your work to date on this.

And I know you’re not alone in wanting this. 

To all those who have been advocating too – We hear you.

And we know a Commission could strengthen and connect the early learning sector and create a shared base of knowledge.

It could help ensure centres are built where families need them most.

And it could guide the path towards universal early education and care. 

But if we want this to work, we have to get it right. 

That’s why we’re working with the States and Territories, and getting input from providers, unions, peak bodies and other stakeholders on exactly what this should look like.

Together, our reforms are putting the building blocks of universal early education and care in place.

Universal early education and care is good quality.

You can afford it.

And you can find it in your neighbourhood.

And as you can see, we are well on the way to building that system.

An early learning system that will transform the lives of more children.

An early learning system that will help more families thrive.

That offers families real, practical support.

Concrete options they can rely on.

The Coalition, on the other hand, likes to talk about choice.

It’s a word we’ve heard from them a lot.

Angus Taylor said they were going to ‘champion choice’.

They even made my counterpart the ‘Shadow Minister for Choice in Childcare’. 

And last night, Angus Taylor had a choice.

A choice about whether to actually announce something that would help families with children in early learning.

To tell us how they’d create more choice.

But after all that positioning, it seems he forgot to announce the policy.

So all we have to go on is the Coalition’s record.

In those ten years of drift and decline, they chose to let educators leave the sector in droves.

They chose to let fees skyrocket.

They chose to cut children off, instead of including more.

They chose to ignore communities crying out for early learning services.

Because it’s easier to ignore problems than do the real work of real reform.

In contrast, Labor is committed to building an early learning system that won’t just be there for the next family, it’ll be there for the next generation. And the generation after that.

Over the coming year, we’ll be opening more centres, in more places, for more children.

We’ll strengthen the sector, with children’s wellbeing at the heart of everything we do.

We’ll support more children and families with our 3 Day Guarantee.

We’ll work on the next stages of reform – including a Commission.

And we’ll continue to help our youngest Australians get a great start in life that sets them up to do amazing things. 

The Prime Minister’s ambition for quality universal early education and care is in the great Labor tradition.

Transformative.

Nation-building.

A tradition that, in the spirit of Ben Chifley, recognises that governments can and should create security and opportunity for all, starting with our nation’s children.

Source: Australian Ministers for Education

The Australian Government will suspend new applications for Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) registrations and courses to the National VET Regulator, the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), for 12 months.

The suspension will provide ASQA with additional time to address sector integrity issues while processing existing applications with a focus on rigour, scrutiny and integrity.

The decision follows the release of the Rapid Review into the Exploitation of Australia’s Visa System (the Nixon Review) and the Migration Review in 2023, which identified significant integrity concerns within Australia’s international education system, particularly in the vocational education and training (VET) sector.

The Government is committed to strengthening and boosting the integrity and quality of Australia’s international education sector. 

This includes cracking down on dodgy and unscrupulous providers, addressing poor provider practices, and improving the overall experience for genuine international students.

The Government has acted swiftly through a package of integrity reforms, including the passage of the Education Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Other Measures) Act 2025, which provides the necessary authority to suspension the lodgement of applications for new CRICOS registrations and courses.

The 12-month suspension will give ASQA greater capacity to assess the integrity of potential new market entrants and analyse market oversaturation within the international VET and ELICOS sectors.

The suspension does not apply to new applications from public providers, including government schools, TAFE providers and Table A universities. 

To ensure existing courses remain up to date, providers who are currently registered to deliver a course can still apply to:

• add a location for that course 
• register to deliver a new course that supersedes that course, as reflected on the National VET Register.

The Government will continue to work closely with regulators and will closely monitor the implementation of the Instrument alongside broader integrity reform measures.

These actions reflect the Government’s commitment to protecting and advancing Australia’s global reputation as a high-quality education destination, while ensuring the migration system supports genuine students and education providers who are doing the right thing. 

Quotes attributable to the Assistant Minister for International Education, Julian Hill:

“Australia welcomes genuine international students seeking a premium Australian education and the Government is committed to further strengthening integrity and sustainability in the international education sector.

“Suspending new registrations to teach international students VET or English language onshore is not a decision taken lightly and will allow the Government to address integrity concerns about new market entrants and oversaturation in the international VET and ELICOS sectors. Frankly, it raises suspicions when at the same time student numbers in these parts of the sector are moderating the regulator continues to see a rush of new market entrants.

“Australia’s continued success as a destination of choice for international students requires a ruthless focus on quality, integrity and student experience.”

Source: Australian Ministers for Education

I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Professor Peter Buckskin PSM FACE —a proud Narungga man, respected leader, educator and tireless advocate for First Nations education.

Professor Buckskin’s distinguished career was defined by an unwavering commitment to improving educational outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and educators, and a firm belief in the transformative power of education.

His work spanned decades of leadership, policy influence and community engagement, leaving a profound legacy across Australia’s education system.

Professor Buckskin brought insight, integrity and deep cultural authority to critical discussions shaping policy and practice. A hallmark achievement of his career was the More Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Teachers Initiative (MATSITI), which he led from 2011 to 2016 and supported collaborative workforce projects, research and a campaign to increase the First Nations teaching workforce.

He engaged with governments across a range of Indigenous Affairs matters, with recent education forums including Indigenous Education Consultative Meetings, and as a member of the National Respectful Relationships Education Expert Working Group.

As Inaugural Chair of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation (NATSIEC), Professor Buckskin’s knowledge, leadership and generosity of spirit strengthened collaboration and helped drive a shared vision for equitable, culturally responsive education.

This leadership was integral to the establishment of the Partnership Agreement between Education Ministers and NATSIEC, and the inclusion of NATSIEC representatives in Education Ministers Meeting to ensure First Nations learners are at the centre of education decisions.

Professor Buckskin’s legacy will live on in the many students, educators and communities he inspired, and in the education systems and reforms he helped shape.

On behalf of the Australian Government and the Department of Education, I extend my deepest condolences to Professor Buckskin’s family, community and his many friends and colleagues.

Source: Australia Government Statements 2

The Albanese and Malinauskas Labor Governments are partnering to deliver a significantly expanded early childhood education and care centre in Bordertown, helping to support children and their families across the region.

The Carol Murray Children’s Centre will move to a new $11.83 million purpose-built facility and be co-located with the Bordertown Primary School site, providing families with a central drop-off point and more access to early education.

The project is being jointly funded with the Albanese Government investing $6.65 million through the $1 billion Building Early Education Fund and the Malinauskas Government contributing $4.39 million. The Carol Murray Children’s Centre is also providing funding.

The upgraded centre will expand to 111 places, up from 72, and continue to offer early learning and preschool programs.

Increased capacity will support the universal rollout of Flying Start three-year-old preschool and create additional places for children under the age of two.

The redeveloped service follows community advocacy for a larger centre, including from the Tatiara Childcare Working Group who identified the growing needs of the region.

The new centre is expected to be open in the second half of 2029. The existing service will continue operating in its current location until the new centre is completed.

It builds on three other early education projects being delivered in regional South Australia under the Building Early Education Fund – at Kadina, Kimba and Quorn.

These projects will add almost 150 early learning places for families on the Copper Coast. All three sites are set to be completed by early 2028.  

The $1 billion Building Early Education Fund provides capital funding to build and expand early learning services in areas of need, including regional communities and outer suburbs, helping families access quality early learning close to home. 
The Building Fund helps deliver more quality centres co-located at schools. This will help families avoid the double drop-off and help children smoothly transition to school.
These investments will support workforce participation, strengthen regional communities and help more children get the best possible start in life.

More information about the Building Early Education Fund is available at: Building Early Education Fund – Department of Education, Australian Government.

Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for Early Childhood Education, Jess Walsh

“Our Building Early Education Fund is delivering more quality early education centres where South Australian families need them most.

“This project will mean more Bordertown families can access early learning close to home and give children a great start in life.

“Co-locating the centre with Bordertown Primary School will also end the double drop-off for many parents and help children get ready to start school.”

Quotes attributable to South Australian Minister for Education, Training and Skills, Lucy Hood

“We are working with the Australian government to increase capacity in areas where families need it most, enabling more parents to access high-quality early learning closer to home.

“The Bordertown community and surrounds rely on the Carol Murray Children’s Centre and we have responded to locals’ calls for additional long day care in the region.

“This significant investment will help accommodate future growth and is an important addition to support the rollout of universal three-year-old preschool now underway across our state.”

Quotes attributable to Carol Murray Children’s Centre Director, Shelley Cameron

“Our service is highly valued and much loved, with many community members having attended themselves as children.

“We are delighted that – thanks to strong community support and advocacy, along with government investment – we will now be able to respond to our community’s growing needs with quality early childhood programs in a purpose-built facility.”

Source: Australia Government Statements 2

The Albanese and Minns Labor Governments have reached a historic agreement for $59 million in funding to deliver early learning centres across nine public school sites in New South Wales’ suburbs and regions.

This is part of the Albanese Labor Government’s $1 billion Building Early Education Fund which provides capital funding to build and expand early learning services in areas of need including on school sites and in regional communities and the outer suburbs.  

This partnership with the NSW Government will deliver new centres located at Muswellbrook Public School, Cessnock East Public School, Eden Public School, Chester Hill North Public School, Wattawa Heights Public School, Inverell Public School and at new public primary schools in Calderwood, West Dapto and Googong. 

It will support the creation of around 400 early childhood education and care places.

Through this agreement, the Albanese Labor Government is delivering on its commitment to build new early learning centres in Muswellbrook, Cessnock, and Eden.

This investment will make access to child care easier by delivering more high-quality centres co-located on school sites. This will help families avoid the double drop-off and help children smoothly transition to school.

Early education and care helps children get ready for school while supporting working families and strengthening regional and outer suburban communities.

This is another big investment in public education on top of the $20 billion in extra funding the Albanese Labor Government is delivering over the next ten years for public schools.

As part of the Fund, the Government is making up to $150 million available through grants to not-for-profit providers to build or expand child care centres in areas of need. 

The large scale round has closed and is under assessment. The small scale round is open for applications until 29 May. 

More information about the Building Early Education Fund is available at: Building Early Education Fund – Department of Education, Australian Government

Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare:

“This is the trifecta. It’s good for parents, it’s good for kids and it’s good for public education.

“The Building Early Education Fund will help deliver more quality early education places for families in communities that need them most.

“Where you grow up shouldn’t determine whether you can access early education.

“These projects in New South Wales mean more families can access early learning close to home and more children start school ready to go and ready to learn.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Early Childhood Education Jess Walsh:

  “The Albanese Labor Government is delivering more early learning centres for children and families in New South Wales.

 “Our $1 billion Building Early Education Fund is delivering more early learning centres for more families in more places, particularly in our outer suburbs and regions.

 “These projects mean more families can access early learning close to home and children can get a great start in life.

 “This is one of the building blocks of a universal early childhood education system.”

Quotes attributable to New South Wales Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car:

“This agreement is about making life easier for NSW families – more high-quality, affordable early learning centres close to home and relieving pressure on parents balancing work with the school run.

“More families across the state will be able to avoid the double drop off and access world-class early learning right where they live.

“Together with the state’s biggest expansion of public preschools in NSW history, we are working to ensure every child gets the best possible start in the years before school.”

Source: Australia Government Statements 2

JULIA FINN, MEMBER FOR GRANVILLE: Okay, good morning, everyone. Welcome to Sherwood Range Public School here in Merrylands West. I’m Julia Finn, I’m the member for Granville, and this is one of the six public preschools that are being built across my electorate, and I’m absolutely thrilled to be here. It looks beautiful. I actually had no idea it was going to look this amazing. So thank you so much to the Deputy Premier, Prue Car, the Minister for Education for delivering this. This is going to make such a difference for families in my area. It makes it a lot of easier with the morning drop-off, being able to have their kids at preschool and at the same school. And it’s – this is an area where there actually isn’t a preschool, so this is really, really needed. So thank you so much for this. This is going to be great. 

PRUE CAR, NSW MINISTER FOR EDUCATION AND EARLY LEARNING: Thanks, Julia. It’s great to be here at Sherwood Grange as we take a look at really the final stages of this new public preschool being built here for this community here in this beautiful part of Western Sydney. This is one of the 100 public preschools we are building across New South Wales, picked in areas of need and areas that are underserviced when it came to early childhood education, particularly preschool education. 

This, of course, is the biggest expansion of public preschools in the history of New South Wales. By day 1, term 1 next year every single one of those 100 public preschools will be open and operating. We’ve already opened quite a few of them, and to see our littlest learners running in, participating in play-based learning, enjoying the outside, really getting those first building blocks of literacy and numeracy through play-based curricula, it’s just amazing to see. This is something we’re really proud of as a government. 

But today we’re here with the Commonwealth government also with Ministers Clare and Walsh to say that working with the Commonwealth government we’re really proud and thankful to the Federal government for funding to be able to work together to build more early childhood education on public school sites. This is an example of what it can look like. It’s game changing for local families. As Julia said, it gets rid of the double drop-off, but also it means that children can actually have a better transition educationally from early childhood education to kindergarten. And just as Vicki, the wonderful principal will tell you, and every principal I’ve met that has a public preschool or getting one will tell you, there is such a difference in being able to transition kids from preschool to kindergarten when they’re on the same site. 

This new funding, this historic levels of funding from the Commonwealth government, will enable us to be able to work with them to build more sites of early education on public schools across New South Wales. There are nine sites. That’s going to make a massive difference to these communities. And we’re really grateful for the opportunity to work with the federal government. This is the federal government looking at the evidence, looking at what works, and actually putting money down to ensure that we get it delivered. 

This is on top of the record amount of money that we were able to secure with Minister Clare through the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement to make sure that New South Wales public schools are finally fully and fairly funded. So, a great example of the state and the federal government working together to make sure that more children can access high-quality education, whether it’s early education or high-quality public education. 

JESS WALSH, MINISTER FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND MINISTER FOR YOUTH: Thanks, Prue. Well, it’s great to be here today to make what is a historic announcement. Quality early childhood education and care gives children a great start in life, and it helps families thrive. But we know that not all children and family have access to the benefits of that quality early childhood education and care. And that’s why we’re partnering with the New South Wales government to build nine new early learning services across the state in areas that are currently underserved and that have real need for quality early childhood education and care. 

We are providing $59 million in funding to build nine services from down south in Eden across here in Western Sydney up to Inverell in the north. We’ll be creating 400 new places for families. All of the new services that we’re building will be co-located with New South Wales public schools. And we can see right here today the benefits that will bring for children. 

Co-locating with schools is great for kids. It helps them see the big school just next door. It helps them imagine putting the uniform on, and it helps them transition smoothly to school. And co‑locating early education with schools is also great for families. It gets rid of that dreaded double drop-off, and it gives families a one-stop-drop. 

We’re really proud of this investment. It’s part of our billion-dollar investment in building more quality, not-for-profit-led early childhood education in the places where families need it the most. 

JASON CLARE, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: Well, I think Prue and Jess have said it all. This is a brilliant example of the fantastic work the New South Wales government is doing in public education. What you can see here is one of a hundred preschools that the state government is building on public school grounds across the state. And Prue, I know you’re proud of this, and you should be. And Murat and the whole team, what you’re doing here is not just transforming the lives of the kids that will go here, helping to better prepare them for school, but you’re actually changing the way public education works and building a better and a fairer education system for the next generation of Australians. 

I know that’s what you’re about, and that’s what I’m about as well. And what we’re announcing today really builds on all of that. To build more centres like this, the Commonwealth government providing $59 million to build more centres, but working hand in hand with the state government on public school grounds here in New South Wales so that the children that go to these centres get the benefits that we’re talking about today. 

As Prue said, if you go to preschool here, you’re going to be better prepared for the public school that you go to the year after that. This really is the trifecta – it’s good for parents, it’s good for kids and it’s great for public education. It’s good for parents because it makes it easier to go back to work and it gets rid of that double drop-off if you’ve got one child here and one child going to the primary school. It’s good for kids because all the evidence tells us that if you get access to early education then you’re better prepared to go to school, to go to big school. Every principal, every teacher tells me that. They tell me that when kindergarten starts at the start of every year and you look at the kids in your classroom, you can tell the kids that have been to preschool. And it’s also bloody fantastic for public education. As Prue said, we’re now investing an extra $20 billion in public education right across the country as a result of the agreements that we struck with New South Wales and other states and territories across the country. And this builds on that and helps to do what we call want to do – and that is, build a better and fairer education system for this generation of kids and the ones to come. Thanks very much. Happy to take some questions. 

JOURNALIST: I’ll just ask either Minister Clare or Minister Car, [indistinct] a hundred new preschools, how is the staffing looking in terms of actually servicing and providing [indistinct]? 

CAR: Yeah, well, in terms of these 100 public preschools, we’re powering ahead with making sure that they are fully staffed with fully qualified teachers, teachers that are qualified in early childhood education and often primary education also. We know that the workforce challenges in early childhood is something that is a challenge. Both governments have been investing in that. I know the worker retention payment from the Commonwealth has really resulted in great outcomes in terms of supporting the workforce in early childhood education. As a state government we’re also investing in scholarships as well to ensure that we attract and retain staff in early childhood education. Because we have to do both things at once – we have to build amazing facilities and we also have to put the best quality teachers and educators in these facilities. We’ve learnt that with schools. We had a chronic teacher shortage in primary and secondary schools when we came to government in New South Wales; now vacancies are at a 12-year low. We have to build the buildings as well as create that magic between the teacher and the classroom or, in this case in a preschool, the teacher and the mud kitchen or the playroom. Their classroom is quite different from another classroom. But we’re on top of that. 

CLARE: Maybe if I can add in on that, backing what Prue is saying. When you pay people more, more people want to do the job. And we saw that with the fantastic decision that the New South Wales government made, the record-breaking salary increase for school teachers here in New South Wales. And we’re seeing that in early education, too. That 15 per cent pay rise through that worker retention payment has seen a 19 per cent reduction in vacancies in early education centres across the country and 19,000 more workers in our early education centres since that was put into place. You know, this is not babysitting; this is early education. And we see it through the work that we do. We know how critical and how important that work is. And when you pay people more – guess what? – more people want to do the job. 

JOURNALIST: And would you say new centres like this are servicing a current growth that’s being faced or, like, a future growth in population? 

CAR: Well, these 100 public preschools are servicing areas where the need was not being met. They were independently assessed in terms of the site selection then recommended to government. So government didn’t choose the sites where they are; it was based on where there was unmet need, where there was a desert in terms of preschool education. So, really, what we’re doing as a state government with these 100 public preschools is beginning the catch-up because there has never been a government that’s invested in public preschools the way that we have. So we’re playing catch-up. This next step and this really welcome investment from the Commonwealth government is then going further. So we just have to keep building these services in areas where there is unmet need. That unmet need we believe will not be met unless the government directly intervenes, and that’s what we’re doing. 

JOURNALIST: Just in relation to the man that was arrested who allegedly stole that camera from one of the Bondi victims, have you heard this news and what’s your reaction to that? 

CAR: Yeah, look, this is really obviously extremely distressing. I believe this is before the courts. The gentleman was a retired police officer. He gave his life in service of that local community. And, look, distressing news on probably one of the worst days in the history of New South Wales. So we’ll let that play out through the courts. But this is very upsetting. Every time there is more news about that devastating day, I just want to be really clear that, you know, our thoughts and efforts are always with the people impacted on that day and since that day and the pain that is still being felt in our Jewish community in New South Wales. And that’s probably all I can say at this point as it’s before the courts. 

Great, thank you.

 

Source: Australia Government Statements 2

I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Professor Peter Buckskin PSM FACE —a proud Narungga man, respected leader, educator and tireless advocate for First Nations education.

Professor Buckskin’s distinguished career was defined by an unwavering commitment to improving educational outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and educators, and a firm belief in the transformative power of education.

His work spanned decades of leadership, policy influence and community engagement, leaving a profound legacy across Australia’s education system.

Professor Buckskin brought insight, integrity and deep cultural authority to critical discussions shaping policy and practice. A hallmark achievement of his career was the More Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Teachers Initiative (MATSITI), which he led from 2011 to 2016 and supported collaborative workforce projects, research and a campaign to increase the First Nations teaching workforce.

He engaged with governments across a range of Indigenous Affairs matters, with recent education forums including Indigenous Education Consultative Meetings, and as a member of the National Respectful Relationships Education Expert Working Group.

As Inaugural Chair of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation (NATSIEC), Professor Buckskin’s knowledge, leadership and generosity of spirit strengthened collaboration and helped drive a shared vision for equitable, culturally responsive education.

This leadership was integral to the establishment of the Partnership Agreement between Education Ministers and NATSIEC, and the inclusion of NATSIEC representatives in Education Ministers Meeting to ensure First Nations learners are at the centre of education decisions.

Professor Buckskin’s legacy will live on in the many students, educators and communities he inspired, and in the education systems and reforms he helped shape.

On behalf of the Australian Government and the Department of Education, I extend my deepest condolences to Professor Buckskin’s family, community and his many friends and colleagues.

Source: Australia Government Statements 2

PATRICK GORMAN, MEMBER FOR PERTH: It’s absolutely terrific to have the Federal Minister for Education, Jason Clare, here in Perth at the ECU City campus. 

This campus is not just the pride and joy of Western Australians, it is a nationally significant campus. We have some 10,000 people coming here to study, learn, research and teach every single business day. And you can really feel how this campus is bringing Perth to life and handing down great opportunities to the next generation of Australians. Some 65,000 square metres of space here built proudly by Western Australians. 

It’s been my absolute honour to be with the Minister getting to see it. We were here in hard hats last time, now we’re here just in normal attire. And I want to say a huge thank you to the Vice Chancellor, Clare Pollock, and her team for the outstanding tour that we’ve had. But more importantly, for the education and the opportunities they’re handing down to the next generation of Australians. I’ll hand over to the Minister to say a few words.

JASON CLARE, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: Thank you. Thanks very much, Pat. And can I also thank you, Clare, and your whole team for showing us around today. 

I’m going to get into a bit of trouble for this, but this is about as good as it gets. As Minister for Education, I get to visit universities right across the country and, in particular, see some of the new buildings and new campuses that are being built, particularly vertical campuses in our suburbs and in our CBDs. And what I saw today really blows my mind. This is learning for the 21st century. And it shows that Perth has got a campus here in the heart of the city that is as good as you find anywhere in the world. 

So, Clare, thumbs up to you and the team. Thanks very much for letting me come and have a little bo-peep again today. 

Education changes lives. And education also changes countries. I know that because it’s changed my life. I know that because it’s changed the lives of the people that I grew up with. If we go back 50 years or so, we’d find a country where less than 50 per cent of young people finished school, and very few people went on and got a university degree. And Australia is a different country today. Now, about 80 per cent of young people finish high school, and about 50 per cent of people in their 30s have a university degree. But not everywhere. Not in every suburb, not in every corner of the country. And I want to fix that. That’s what the Universities Accord is all about. It’s about building a higher education system where more people can get more skills. And we’re a country where we need more people to finish high school and then go on to TAFE or to university and to get those skills. And that’s why we’re building university study hubs in the regions and in the outer suburbs. 

It’s also why we’re funding more free bridging courses, so people who may not be ready to start a university degree can get those skills, so when they get here, they succeed. And it’s also why in the next few weeks I’m going to introduce legislation that will make sure that if you’re a young person from a poor family or you’re a young person from the regions or the bush and you get the marks, if you’ve got what it takes, then you’ll get a Commonwealth Supported Place, you’ll get a guaranteed place at university. If you’ve got what it takes, you’ll get a place. 

And what that is all about is making sure that more young people, wherever they grow up, get a crack at education and get the skills that Australia needs. It’s about opening the doors of opportunity wider for more Australians. Happy to take some questions.

JOURNALIST: What’s your response to your post-Budget poll about this morning? Are you worried about the response?

CLARE: I think I saw two different polls that said two different things. You know, to be honest, I’m not focused on either of those polls. I’m focused on the big things that we need to do to make Australia a better and fairer place. Education is a big part of that. The reforms that I’m implementing are all about that, and the Budget is about that as well.

Last year we cut student debt by 20 per cent for 3 million Australians. And most young people, when there’s an election, don’t see something for them on the ballot paper they did last year. I think what we saw in the Budget was a government that is focused on taking the next step to help the next generation of young Australians, to make sure that a system that exists at the moment that doesn’t give young Australians a fair crack, that doesn’t help them in the way that it should to own the roof over their own home is fixed, is changed and gives more young Australians the chance that we had when we were younger.

JOURNALIST: Given all that [inaudible] as a Budget geared towards the younger generations, is it then a concern, though, that more young voters believe they’ll be worse off than better off? I mean, that suggests that communications failed so far.

CLARE: Again, I saw two different polls that said two different things about that.

JOURNALIST: They both say most people don’t like the Budget.

CLARE: I don’t think that’s right. Go back and have a look. I saw two polls say two different things.

JOURNALIST: Well, one found that 60 per cent don’t believe they’ll be better off as a result of the Budget. Another found Angus Taylor is now Australia’s preferred Prime Minister. They’re both pretty worrying results.

CLARE: No, I think that’s selective interpretation.

JOURNALIST: So how do you interpret it?

CLARE: What I interpreted is that Australia wants a government that is prepared to take the tough decisions to build a better and a fairer country. And that’s what these reforms are all about. The Labor Party now is the only party of the centre, the only party that’s in the sensible centre. You’ve got the Liberal Party now trying to be a try hard One Nation Pauline Hanson without the personality. And I don’t think most Australians want that.

JOURNALIST: What’s going on with international student approval numbers? They’re falling. The universities are fearing a massive financial hit as a result, and the numbers seem to show massive drops in particularly South Asian students being approved to come in.

CLARE: The top priority for all Australian universities needs to be Australian students. Making sure that we educate the next generation of Australian students. We set numbers for every university, what’s called the National Planning Level across the nation for international students. What we’re doing is making sure that the system has integrity, making sure that students who come here to study are selected based on their merits. And so there is a selection process or an analysis process that’s led by the Department of Home Affairs to make sure that that occurs.

JOURNALIST: So, was it out of whack?

CLARE: What the Department of Home Affairs is focused on is making sure that when students come here to study that they’ve got the wherewithal, that they’ve got the income, they’ve got the ability to study here. And also to make sure that when students come here, they’re here to study rather than here to work.

JOURNALIST: Are places like this funded for Australian students and otherwise by international students largely?

CLARE: I wouldn’t say largely. It’s largely funded through the contributions of the Australian Government as well as through the students themselves, through the HECS system. 

But international students are important. They play an important role both in the funding of universities but also in the way in which the world sees Australia. Because when you come to Australia and you study here, you fall in love with Australia, and you take that back home with you when you go. It’s important, but also, it’s important that the system has integrity, and that’s what the reforms that Home Affairs are implementing are all about.

JOURNALIST: I just wanted to ask, do you think that the Treasurer and the Prime Minister did a good enough job of selling the Budget, given the numbers we’ve seen in the polls?

CLARE: The selling of the Budget goes on. It’s not just about last week, it’s not just about this week. It’s about the implementation of the reforms by passing legislation through the Parliament and the difference that it will make for young Australians right across the country.

JOURNALIST: There were almost 300,000 student visas issued last year, I think. Was that too high?

CLARE: The National Planning Level is at around about 295,000. It’s a little bit higher than it was the year before. We set those numbers based on what we think is the right settings for universities across the country.

JOURNALIST: So, it wasn’t too high?

CLARE: We think the number’s right, but we’ve got to make sure that the individual students meet the requirements that we set as a nation.

JOURNALIST: Why did you have to pull funding for 13 research projects for national security reasons?

CLARE: I made that decision based on advice from the Australian Research Council as well as other Australian Government agencies. I won’t go into the detail beyond that, other than to say that we’re also implementing further reforms to protect research security at our universities. That includes the release of a framework to guide the work that the ARC does, but also reforms to the Threshold Standards, the higher education standards that universities are required to meet. That work is underway right now and will become more in July this year.

JOURNALIST: As a politician from Western Sydney, what are your thoughts on the GST? Chris Minns has said that New South Wales has had a raw deal. Do you agree?

CLARE: No, I disagree with Chris and I think the Prime Minister and the Treasurer have made their views on the GST in WA very very clear.

JOURNALIST: Do those views change? Do you think their views on negative gearing have changed?

CLARE: I think I answered that question.

JOURNALIST: Just your reaction to Tanya Plibersek’s interview, didn’t go so well. They’re calling it a death tax. Are people right to be concerned that all their hard work during their lives is at risk and the government’s just got its hand out for 30 per cent?

CLARE: No, look, I didn’t see that interview, but I think all of the speculation about that is wrong. And I refer you to what the Treasurer has said about that in recent days.

JOURNALIST: Can I just ask, the approach planned with regard to the National Gas Reservation Policy, is the intent to carve WA out, and is there concern that would be unconstitutional?

GORMAN: The intent of the Gas Reservation Policy that we’ve announced is to make sure that we have enough domestic gas for domestic industry, and indeed, as both the Prime Minister and the Minister for Resources, Madeleine King, my good WA colleague, have said, this is modelled on the success story of Western Australia. 

We recognise that West Australian businesses have been fortunate to have access to that gas reserved for domestic purposes. We are doing this in a really collaborative way. I’ve seen comments from both the Minister for Resources and the Premier of Western Australia, Roger Cook, talking about how there will be deep consultation because it’s primarily focused on fixing a problem that has gone on for too long on the east coast, where there’s not enough gas for domestic users. 

And of course, we want to make sure that we can protect what’s working well in Western Australia as well. That’s what I expect to happen, and it will happen in a collaborative way.

JOURNALIST: Is it going to create a problem for [inaudible]? Will WA have to cede control of its gas to the East Coast?

GORMAN: I’m not anticipating any problems for Western Australia. I think we’ll get some really good advice from Western Australians about what’s worked in that design scheme. And let’s also give credit to Alan Carpenter, who, some 20 years ago, had the vision to make sure that Western Australia had the energy it needed to become that vision that he and that previous Labor Governments could see, which was that if we got our energy sources right, there could be so much more opportunity for people here in Western Australia. That’s what we want to do with what we are now looking to do federally, and we’ll do so in a consultative and collaborative way.

JOURNALIST: But it’s already right here, can you guarantee that it won’t adversely impact WA’s [inaudible].

GORMAN: I think what I’ve just said is that we want to make sure that this works for where we see a policy problem that does need addressing, just as Alan Carpenter could see a policy problem that needed addressing some 20 years ago.

JOURNALIST: And just on ECU and the Perth City Seal is about to finish. Obviously, it has done a lot here in your electorate. Is there a replacement under negotiation? Does there need to be a new framework to inject activity into the Perth city centre?

GORMAN: Well, I’d agree that seeing the collaboration we’ve had between the Commonwealth, the state, the local council and in cases like this, the university sector has been fantastic. And we’ve seen excellent investment, this campus, the Common Ground facility, in terms of the work that I’ve championed for many years at the WACA ground, that’s now open, and it’s great that people are seeing the success of all of that. 

We’ve announced in this Budget additional major investments in Western Australia. One of the criticisms that we did see about the Perth City Deal is it was incredibly focused in one area, and I’ve had a lot of councils come to me over the years saying, I love that City Deal, but why isn’t there anything happening in our part of the world. 

So, what we’ve looked to do is, and the announcement that Clare O’Neil was here making just a few weeks ago about housing, making sure we’re putting out more money for infrastructure — the City Deal was ultimately about infrastructure funding — now putting that into housing. We’ve got more money going into a range of social and affordable housing projects. We’ve also got the significant announcement the Prime Minister made when it came to Anketell Road and expanding our road infrastructure to get what is an essential piece of economic infrastructure, which is Westport. So, we’ll continue, and what the Prime Minister has always said, and Catherine King and myself and others, is that we want to have that rolling investment program of infrastructure.

JOURNALIST: That’s all a long way away from the Perth CBD [inaudible] Anketell Road, there’s not going to be another Perth City Deal?

GORMAN: What we’ve said is that we’ll continue to invest in infrastructure. In every single budget, in every single budget, there’s been more investments in infrastructure for Western Australia and —

JOURNALIST: Nothing for Perth CBD [inaudible]

GORMAN: I think if you look, there is actually significant —

JOURNALIST: Name one thing.

GORMAN: We’ve given some additional investments for the state government to complete their Metronet work. That was one of their requests, and we’ve delivered it. 

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested a man in relation to the sexual assault of a woman in Palmerston earlier this week.

The 20-year-old man was arrested overnight by members from the NTPF Fugitive Taskforce, and currently remains in custody.

Charges are expected to be laid later today. 

Investigations remain ongoing and police are continuing to call for members of the public with information to come forward on 131 444. Please quote reference P26144781 or report anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via crimestoppersnt.com.au.  

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force hold concerns for 31-year-old Marius who is believed missing in East Arnhem Land.

Yesterday evening, police received a report from his family that Marius had not returned to Yirrkala as planned and had not been seen since 6am that morning.

His vehicle has since been located around 86km South of Nhulunbuy along the Central Arnhem Highway. Initial searches completed have been unable to locate Marius.

Members from the NTPF Search and Rescue Section have been stood up and are leading investigations.

Police and family hold concerns for his welfare and anyone with information is urged to contact the Northern Territory Police Force on 131 444 or visit your local station. Please quote reference NTP2600049591.