The Morrison Government’s latest childcare announcement was yet another missed opportunity to reform the system and fundamentally boost women’s participation in the workforce, Federal Member for Macquarie Susan Templeman said.

Ms Templeman said Australians pay some of the highest childcare costs in the world, and the current system meant many women actually lose money if they worked more than three days per week.

“Labor has been calling for relief for parents from childcare costs for some time, and curiously, last year when we announced our policy, the Prime Minister denied there was a problem,” Ms Templeman said.

“Yet fees have increased more than 35 per cent under the Liberals.

“It’s about time the Government recognised the flaws in the system that Scott Morrison designed, but this announcement only partially addresses the problem.

“For a start, it only applies to a second or subsequent child in an early learning centre, it doesn’t address out of school or vacation care costs, and it does not start until July 2022.

“Australian Bureau of Statistics data released last week showed out of pocket child care costs are at record highs – higher than they were under the previous system – and Labor has called for the ACCC to investigate price regulation to ensure all benefit goes into the pockets of families. But the government has failed to act.

“This announcement also leaves out a whole raft of working women and their families, who even the Business Council of Australia recognises need support so that they can work more days."