Let me begin with a simple truth: few things matter more than the safety of our children. Early childhood educators and services play a vital role in our communities. We entrust them with the wellbeing, development and safety of our children. That trust is earned through care, professionalism and dedication. When something goes wrong, it not only shakes that trust but also has a deep impact on families, communities and the many amazing workers who care so deeply about the safety of children. Recent events have reminded all of us in the most painful way that there are cracks in our current system and that those cracks can lead to tragic consequences. My thoughts are with all those impacted by what happened in Victoria and today in Queensland. It is truly devastating. My heart breaks for those children, their parents, their families and the workers who care for them.
While investigations and court proceedings are ongoing, what's already clear is this: the system must be strengthened—not later, now. The legislation that passed House this morning is a necessary step. It is not a final fix but a firm shift in how we protect children in early education settings. So here's what the bill does and why it matters. At its core, this legislation changes how we think about the federal government's role in early childhood education. For too long, the Commonwealth's only real lever has been financial, and even then it's been too slow and too disconnected from the realities on the ground. This bill makes one thing crystal clear: if you want public money to run a childcare service, you must meet basic standards of quality, safety and care. That's non-negotiable. It links the providers' access to childcare subsidy funding directly to their record on safety and compliance.
Let me be clear: this is about accountability. It's about making sure the funding we deliver as a federal government reflects Australian values. That means supporting services who are doing the right thing. We know state regulators do important work inspecting, rating and enforcing, and most of them do it well. But we have seen what happens when a provider ignores a warning or when issues go unaddressed for months and, sometimes, years. This bill gives the federal government the power to act in those cases to close the funding tap when services fail to act. It means that, if a service is repeatedly warned by state authorities but continues to breach standards, whether through unsafe environments, inadequate staff checks or neglect, the Commonwealth can intervene. We can deny funding for new services and we can suspend or cancel existing approvals. Now, this isn't about catching services out on paperwork errors; it's about clear, documented failures to meet standards that protect our children.
Parents deserve to know who they're trusting with their child. This bill expands the public register of enforcement action so families can see not just who's been suspended or cancelled but who is under conditions, who has been fined and why. That includes when a provider has had a new service application denied or if there are compliance conditions in place. We believe parents are entitled to this information. It should not be hidden in fine print or tucked away in the corner of a government website but should be accessible and up to date, because, when a family chooses a childcare service, they're not just making a logistical decision; they are making an emotional one and one of the most important decisions they will make for their child. They're putting their child in someone else's hands. They deserve to know those hands are safe.
Another major reform in this bill is giving Commonwealth officers stronger monitoring powers. Right now, state regulators can enter and inspect childcare premises without prior consent. We believe the federal government should have similar tools, especially given the size of the financial investment we make. These powers will allow federal officers to conduct spot checks, identify fraud and, importantly, share safety concerns with state regulators in real time. This is not surveillance for the sake of it; it's about ensuring public money is not going to services that cut corners or place children at risk.
Over the past few years this government has invested over $220 million to tackle fraud in the childcare subsidy system. That effort has already recouped over $300 million. This legislation builds on that. It simplifies the process for issuing warrants, appointing auditors and tracking providers across multiple services. These might sound like technical changes but they make enforcement faster and more effective. We're taking steps to ensure educators, especially in family day care and in-home care, don't carry unnecessary burdens like chasing down gap fees. Providers will now be responsible for collecting those fees, freeing educators to focus on what they do best: caring for our children.
Let me say this clearly: this legislation is not about closing down childcare centres unnecessarily. No-one wants to leave parents without care options because of solvable issues. This is about drawing a line. If a provider knows there are problems and chooses not to fix them, if they ignore safety warnings, dodge regulations or put children at risk, they will lose access to public funds—full stop. And that's how it should be. We're also making room for providers to improve. This bill allows time for services to meet conditions. It encourages growth and improvement, but it also, importantly, sets boundaries.
This bill is an important step, but it's not the end of the road. Ministers across the country have agreed to a broader agenda on child safety, including the development of a national educator register so workers can't slip through the cracks by jumping from one provider to another, from state to state. We're also pushing for mandatory child safety training not because we doubt the vast majority of educators, who do extraordinary work each day, but to make sure everyone in the system knows what to look for and how to speak up. Following media investigations and shocking abuse reports earlier this year, states like New South Wales have launched their own reviews and are already acting on recommendations like higher penalties, improving transparency and even mandatory CCTV in services with repeated safety breaches. We support that work. We need every level of government engaged.
Another key area needing reform is our fragmented working-with-children check system. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was clear: we need a national model. Right now, the checks vary wildly in how long they last, what information is considered and how often they're updated. Some states issue them for five years, others for two. Some require them from age 18, others from age 14. That inconsistency puts children at risk. Next month the Attorney-General will bring state and territory counterparts together to get real progress on this issue—and it's long overdue.
Finally, I acknowledge the serious constructive approach that colleagues on all sides of this chamber have brought to the bill. This is how parliament should work. Parents across the country don't care about political wins. They want results. They want their kids safe. They want accountability and they want all governments to work together. This bill is not a silver bullet but it is a major reform—one that will lift standards, protect children and restore trust in a sector that over a million families rely on each and every day. We owe it to these families. We owe it to our children. I am so proud to support this bill.
