MURRAY JONES, HOST: Well, it's come up in just the last couple of days, a pay increase for people in the child care sector. Now, of course, a bit of a follow-on from some reforms recently, cheaper child care, which is of course so important to keep our economy turning. But most importantly, when it comes to ensuring the kids are getting a good basis before they start their more formal aspect of their education. Keen to talk a little bit more about that. My special guest this morning, the federal member for Jagajaga. She's the Assistant Minister for Social Security, Ageing and also for Women, Kate Thwaites, joins me this morning, from Melbourne. Good morning, Kate, how are you today?
KATE THWAITES, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY, AGEING AND WOMEN: I am very well, thank you. Correction though I am in Canberra and my thoughts are also with the people of Cairns with that incident with the helicopter today Murray, absolutely my thoughts are with everyone affected by that, but a big shock, I'm sure.
JONES: A shocking incident so early this morning. We do have concerns about the pilot but details are slowly emerging. But certainly a bit of a shocking start to the day. There's no doubt about that. Look let’s talk about this main subject of the day and it is so important, early educators and traditionally underpaid particularly when compared to how much teachers are paid, rightfully, how much teachers are paid as well. But people in early education, obviously very much a female dominated industry as well. With the cheaper child care and then, of course, the announcement that's just come out on Friday of a 15 percent increase of the wages of people they're actually doing this early education. Certainly a concern first off the bat that these wage increases likely to be handed on to parents. What's your response to that Kate?
THWAITES: It's a great question Murray and no, these increases won't be handed on to parents. In making this announcement about how we are going to increase the wages to these early educators who as you say do a fantastic and really important job setting up our next generation. What the government has also said, is that centres will not be able to increase their fees by more than 4.4 percent over the next year. So we're saying that educators deserve a pay rise, it's been a long time coming. This is the workforce that is heavily feminised so it's mainly women and they have really been underpaid for a number of years for the work they do, which is professional work, where they have professional qualifications. And where they are doing great things for Australian families but also doing great things for all of us because the evidence tells us that if young kids start with the best possible early education, they're on the right track to head to school and then head out into life and of course, some help build our country into the future, so I’m really pleased that we are doing this and that we are doing it in a way that families won’t be facing higher fees because we know for so many families, child care is just an essential part of their lives. I know for me, I have small children, I drop my son off in the morning and pick him up and I see a change in a day often Murray, where he comes home knowing something he didn't know before, and that's not just things like his numbers and the alphabet, it's also things like how he interacts with other kids and how he does interact with people. He is learning and soaking up so much in this environment. So it's really important that we're paying educators, as I said, so many women who are doing a fantastic job to keep working in this really important industry.
JONES: And look particularly for kids, as they are learning, it's not just about babysitting when it comes to early education, particularly when it comes to play based, and of course, imaginative things the kids do because, you know, often when they start in prep and start at school, they're fairly serious into the academics and learning things. That play-based learning is so important. So obviously in these really young years, that's often the place and often the forum for this type of stuff and it is so important for kids, moving forward.
THWAITES: There is a lot of evidence that does show us that play-based learning is really important for kids, particularly at those younger years and again, going to this wage increase and why we're really recognising the skills of early educators. This is what they study, this is what they learn through their higher education, about how best to provide these learning environments for our youngest children, and so they're doing that work. And let’s be honest, they're doing it in a really challenging environment. As someone with small children myself, I know how tiring it is dealing with my own children, let alone dealing with a room full of them! We absolutely have to recognise the skills that these people, largely women, are bringing to that work. And we also want to make sure that they feel like this is an industry where they're rewarded and that they can stay in, again speaking from personal experience, I've had the experience which I'm sure many parents listening would be familiar with where in the middle of the day you get the text saying we’re down on staff, we don’t have any reserves to call on, we’re over ratio, we need you to come and pick up your kid. Child care is an industry that has struggled with retention of staff because the wages have been so low. We want to make sure that we are paying these educators what they deserve and showing them that there is a really strong future setting up our youngest Australians to the best possible future. And I've got to say on that I am disappointed to see that Peter Dutton and the Liberals seem to be saying that this isn't necessary. There doesn't seem to be a positive plan for Australian workers or Australian women that Peter Dutton doesn't want to say no to. This is something that should be backed across the Parliament, giving women doing really important work to pay rise that they deserve and setting our youngest Australians up for the future that they deserve.
JONES: When it comes to education, sadly and I've been talking to even the shadow minister for Education here in Queensland, just in the last week or so, education is really in a crisis, and it’s a multi-level issue. Family issues, societal issues that are actually contributing to this situation. I guess anything that we can do to increase the chances for kids and I believe that even this initiative is actually flying through to people who look after outside school care as well. Another essential part where kids are at school and opportunities to learn as well.
THWAITES: That's right. And again that real mindset shift we have with these types of environments. I think there has been a tendency in the past to look at it as simply babysitting either at child care or as you say in those after school, or before school settings, it's not. Our kids are learning so much in these areas. They are obviously services that so many Australian families are using and the people who are working in them are qualified professionals. So as I said, it is really good for all of us. If we are paying the people during that work as qualified professionals and going to your point about grappling with education and getting ready for school. It is really setting them up on the best path to be able to enter the school environment and feel confident and ready to learn. And then, as you say for those school age kids who are doing after school care, or before school care, to enhance their education, they're already getting in school.
JONES: Sadly there’s not as much education happening at home as there used to be back in the past, I think these type of initiatives and paying people correctly for the work that they do. The early educators and also outside of school hours care as well is essential, it really is moving forward and I think this investment in our kids, in our kids future is essential at this time. Great to talk to you this morning. She's the Assistant Minister for Social Security, Ageing and Women. She's the federal member for Jagajaga as well. Kate Thwaites, it's been great to talk to you. Thank you so much for your time this morning.