I’ve long been fascinated by the Liberal Party’s approach to child-care. Personally if women are expected back in the work force I think the State should be providing care, just as it does kindergarten and primary schooling.
But the private child care industry is very well represented in the ranks of the Liberal Party. Suspicious minds such as mine have to wonder if this hasn’t translated into the current peculiar system where the Government pours millions into private businesses which in turn gouge parents for their services.
So it was with these prejudices that I approached Bill Stefaniak’s latest media release (And what’s not to love about the crude Tory propaganda scrolling on the top of that site?). It’s a dense and confused tract
[Govt Child care funding] could lead to the closure of the more vulnerable private and community-based long day-care centres.
If I understand, he’s worried that free services will make life harder for the private child care cartel, competing both for customers and for staff (who are frequently grossly underpaid). I’d buy the concern a lot more readily if not for the past form of the party in dealing with this industry.
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